Children's Games
by mothraisnotapokemon
Summary: Sasuke can fix his mistakes and save Hinata's life. If he can get over the changed history and new mistakes along the way.
1. Introduction

AN: I do not own Naruto. Due to confusion and realizing that I had even confused myself, this story is being edited one chapter at a time, enjoy as I attempt to clarify time line changes…yay…sadness.

Children Games

_Sinnerman where you gunna run to  
Sinnerman where you gunna run to  
Where you gunna run to  
All on that day_

_--- Nina Simone –_** Sinnerman**

Act I: Ring around the Rosie

Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata were different; then again the world was different.

Uchiha Itachi was a member of the Akatsuki, he hadn't killed his clan.

He might not have killed his clan but he left it in ruins, he left two clans in ruins. He used two children to leave the clans in ruins.

He had been assigned a team, two heirs and a blood limit, he taught them and studied them, focusing in on one, the disgraced heir of the Hyuuga clan. Hyuuga Hinata. She was his pet, every teacher had one. Gai had Lee, Asume had Shikamaru and Kakashi had Sasuke. Itachi's relationship with the Hyuuga was different than the regular student teacher relationship; she was being groomed to follow in his footsteps, to be his legacy when he was gone. To the outside world, she was his little puppet; to his other students he was in love with her.

Only Itachi had noticed something, it was brief and at first he had doubted that he had even witnessed it. But being her teacher and guardian he was able to see it, to study it and then encourage it. His little brother was in love with the Hyuuga. Sasuke was curious and determined to prove his own worth, to finally free himself of his brother's shadow. Hinata was struggling, clinging to her own beliefs and the promise she made to her mother, she fought in her own way. To Itachi she was a reminder, in her eyes he saw himself reflected back, in Sasuke he saw his family's hope. Itachi wanted to ruin them, to break them and mold them into something. Something even he didn't know. Only it wasn't him that ruined her. To his displeasure it was Sasuke that left her exposed to the world, as vulnerable and naked as that cursed day she had been born.

Sasuke's relationship with the Hyuuga had taken awhile, with some amused and almost reluctant encouragement from Itachi, their relationship had begun. It was a friendship that slowly developed into something darker; something twisted that bordered on obsession and love. He had watched in amusement, seeing how far he could push them before they fell. They would fall he had studied them well.

Under her silence she was him, she hated the world for what it done to her. She hated the people that stood and watched as she fell, she hated her clan for their abandonment and resentment, for forcing her to realize and accept her own death. She wanted to be loved, to have the love she had been denied at the tender age of three.

Sasuke hated Itachi, for reasons that one could guess where solely his own. Like Hinata he resented being forgotten, he wanted love, he needed it. To be loved as solely Sasuke and not as Itachi's little brother. Sasuke was his fathers and clans hope, the small little prayer that burned brightly and flickered in the darkness. Sasuke was never to be like Itachi, power hungry and cold, an emotionless killer. It was Sasuke that was to take Itachi's place as heir just as Hanabi was to take Hinata's.

When the disgraced heir reluctantly offered her love to Sasuke, a love that was free of reason, he accepted it and everything that came with it. Sasuke clung to Hinata as she clung to Itachi understanding that this was it. The world around them was changed by people, leaving them alone, changing them from what they once where. Happy children that smiled and laughed like the majority of children do, but children grow up when the world forces them too, becoming adults that struggled to fit into the places set for them, the placed Itachi set for them.

One would murder two clans and the other would be murdered by their own.

As stated before Itachi was placed with a team, in that team where many flaws. Then again no one is perfect not even the ones that assigned them. There where to many flaws, selfishness, distrust, self doubt, hate and jealously. Occasionally Itachi would ponder simply killing his two students, doubting they would be missed, Itachi resented being placed with them, they where the proof of something he had realized when he was ten, he was under the watchful and fearful eyes of the leaf.

The Aburame was a silent child that worshiped Itachi for the sole purpose of being Anbu. He was distrustful with even his teammates, to him there was no such thing as a good deed people didn't do things for the sake of simply doing them, there was always a motive. When Itachi placed him as leader, while Itachi was off on some Anbu mission or simply misplaced, the Aburame became especially suspicious.

The Inuzuka was selfish and jealous. He was always striving to prove himself as the alpha dog, the leader. He was always challenging Itachi and the Aburame every step of the way, failing to listen and in doing so changing some of the careful strategic plans the Aburame and Itachi created. Occasionally the Hyuuga had to step in to save him from death at the hands of Itachi or the Aburame; the Inuzuka didn't take to kindly to that.

That was the Aburame's and Inuzuka's common ground the Hyuuga, sometimes they hated her, resented her and on the rare blue moon when she wasn't under the watchful and scrutinizing gaze of Itachi they attempted to intimate her. There was something about her that made them lash out; she was selfless, trusting and forgiving. She was also, breakable and so consumed by her own short comings she couldn't see past her own flaws and witness the others around her. Though on more than one occasion both had come to be infatuated with her, than the reminder of Itachi snapped them back into disliking her.

Itachi was flawed too, even if he didn't want to admit it. People watched him too closely for his comfort. He was a cold and emotionless nin, but there was a feeling of wanting, to prove himself to he wanted something he wasn't sure of.

…………..

Itachi's hand tightened on her shoulder keeping her from running, she wouldn't, couldn't even if she wanted to. Today was a very important day for her; she was selling her soul to gain the knowledge of the seals, so she could break them and retrieve the tails sealed in nine people. With these seals, the Akatsuki would have power and control. Curious, suspicious and fearful eyes looked up at Itachi.

"Today is a special day for you Hinata-chan." She nods, unable to bring herself to string one stutter free response together; she already knows what will happen if she does stutter in Itachi's presence, he'll cut out her tongue. One of the Akatsuki unrolls a large scroll, she tenses moving closer to him. The Akatsuki member nods at Itachi. "Hold out your hand Hinata-chan." She does Itachi smiles as she does so with out trembling, determination shines in her eyes now. Itachi nods and the ceremony began.

The kunai sliced deeply into her palm, Itachi's hand tightened on her shoulder allowing the press her back against him. Placing her bleeding palm on the scroll, the Akatsuki watched as she preformed the hand seals with her free hand, slowly the characters on the scroll moved, bleeding into her cut palm, merging with her own charka. Whispers floated around her, heat coursed painfully through her veins, as a seal was formed in her eyes, with the last seal; pain exploded behind her eyes, blinding her, collapsing into her teachers waiting arms, the ceremony was complete.

………

**Flash back**

"Hinata." her mother said softly sweetly, as she kneeled before the three year old who was sobbing as she covered her eyes, "let me see your eyes." the three year old shook her head as her sobs increased in volume, her eyes hurt and she didn't know why. Her mother placed her hands on her daughter's wrists slowly and carefully moving the child's pudgy hands away from her face, to give her a better view of the child's eyes, her own eyes widened as veins around her child's eyes pulsed rapidly, flickering from clear pupil-less eyes to her soft violet pupil ones. At the scared and shocked face her mother wore the three year old sobbed harder. Her mother pulled her into a crushing embrace.

"Hinata, don't cry it'll be alright." Lifting the child the nameless mother left the small apartment, taking her child to the hospital in hopes of some relief for her child, if there was none, the nameless mother flinched, she would have to contact her child's father. That was the last resort, and hopefully one that was not called for.

……..

The Hokeage looked up from his ink painting, the news was a surprise to him, the nin stared at him, with those cold eyes. "A half Hyuuga developing the Byakugan." The Hokeage repeated, the Uchiha nodding waiting for further instructions. "Ask the head of the main and branch house if he knows of any children born outside the compound." The Uchiha nodded and turned to leave. "Itachi, I want to see the child. Before Hyuuga Hiashi does."

Once Itachi was gone, the Hokeage stared at his ink painting, he had been informed of every birth, been invited as a guest of honor at the first birthday of every child. This one Hyuuga child, it was very curious indeed.

……

Hinata let out another whimper as the nurse checked her eyes, the three year old struggled to move away from the nurse, her pudgy hands swatted at the nurse, blue charka emitted from the child's pale hands, the nurse let out a scream and her hand fell limp to her side, more nurses arrived Hinata's mother watched in horror, as she looked at her daughters pale eyes, knowing that in order to help her child she would need to contact the Hinata's father.

She was about to lift Hinata off from the exam table when one member of Anbu entered the room. "The Hokeage wants to see the child." Hinata's mother held her crying child tighter to her, slightly glad that Hinata's hand where occupied with covering her eyes from the light. "Why?" the Anbu seemed annoyed that he was being questioned, by a civilian no less. After some hesitation the mother followed the Anbu member, Itachi felt his annoyance rise as the child continued to cry and scream. He turned once he could no longer handle the noise from the child. The child stopped crying sensing the danger he was capable of, she let out a whimper her hands still covering her eyes. Itachi smiled the child was smart, the mother held her child a little closer to her scared of the Anbu member that lead her and her child to the Hokeage, even with his mask on the nameless mother could sense his eyes boring into her and her whimpering child.

…………..

The Hokeage looked at the child, the little girl sniffled. He placed a hand under her chin, examining her eyes. "Who is her father?" the nameless mother shifted, thankful that the Anbu member was gone, but now fearful of her daughter's fate. The Hokeage looked at her, as if his eyes where already reading her answer. "Hyuuga Hiashi is her father." If the Hokeage was surprised he hid it well, the child turned to look at her mother. "Mum." The mother smiled at the calming child who was now curious to her surroundings, the veins no longer pulsing, leaving her once violet eyes pupil less. "She has the Byakugan; she belongs in the Hyuuga compound." The nameless mother's eyes snapped back to the Hokeage, fear for her child and anger at this decision burned in those dark violet eyes. "No my child belongs with me, her mother!" the Hokeage smiled at the child who was looking at her mother surprised, the child let out a small cry as the veins pulsed again. "Hinata." the mother cried as she moved to take her child from the Hokeage.

The door opened, Itachi closed the door once Hiashi had entered. The Hyuuga clan leaders eyes narrowed, "Hina." The mother raised her chin attempting to show some rather shaky defiance. Hiashi looked at the child, then back at Hina. The Hokeage had overheard some time ago that the Hyuuga clan leader had taken a mistress once his wife had failed to get pregnant.

The Hokeage stood. "Is this your child Hyuuga Hiashi?" The man in questioned stared at the child and her eyes, Byakugan eyes; it was unheard of that a half Hyuuga would be born with the Byakugan.

"Yes that is my child." Itachi watched interested as the Hokeage nodded.

**End Flash back**

…………….


	2. time

-1Chapter 2: flaws

No one was perfect, not even the people who paired them off. Uchiha Itachi was placed as the instructor for team 8, the hokeage had demanded it. No one wanted to see Itachi with a team, for fear that he would turn them into miniature versions of himself. Everything was planned though based on documented interactions between the four, or five if you counted Akamaru. The team wasn't perfect, it would be far from it. There were to many flaws, selfish tendencies, distrust, self doubt, and hatred.

Shino was a silent child, he was distrustful of people to him there was no such thing as a good deed. People didn't do things to be nice, people wanted something, they always did. He didn't trust people least of all his team. When he was placed with them for a mock team during class, it was a strange twist that they were the only team that completed the mission.

Kiba was selfish, and foolish. He didn't look before he jumped, resulting in some interesting changes in plans. He fought with Shino and Itachi every step of the way, trying to prove he was the alpha dog, the leader. Both he and Shino had something in common they resented the Hyuuga.

She was weak, she doubted herself and her team members. She wanted everyone to be happy, she was selfless, she was forgiving. She was irritating to Itachi, there were times when he didn't know which member he wanted to kill more from his team, the Inuzuka and his dog or the Hyuuga. He doubted anyone would miss them. When he was given guardianship of the Hyuuga she skyrocketed to the top of his kill list. There was something about her that upset him that made him lash out at her, he wanted to hurt her.

He looked at the girl as she stood before him her teeth chattering in her head, she was soaked to the bone. Her clothes clinging and her hair sticking, he frowned at her. Realizing how small she was.

"Again." he told her. She looked at the water, it was too fast for her to walk on. Itachi could but not her, he gave her a push. She gathered her charka under her feet and gave a small silent prayer as she walked. She made it a little over half way before once again falling in. Like before he pulled her out last minute, he glared at her.

"Again." she looked at him a brief expression of disbelief and then disobedience passed over her face. He doubted he had seen them when she looked at the water. She never said anything. When she finally made it across and he said the one word that she was going to hate for the rest of her life.

"Again."

"Itachi-san." he looked at her surprised that she was even able to speak, the wind had picked up. Her shivering was getting worse, he looked at her as she stood up tall.

"No." she told him finally. With that she turned and walked away, he merely watched her go.

Itachi was flawed too, even if he didn't want to admit it. Everyone knew it, people watched him, too closely for his comfort. His brother annoyed him, he usually left Hinata with Sasuke. He was cold, and there was a feeling, of wanting. He wanted something that he didn't understand, as he walked home he would linger in the imaginary images of everyone being slaiyned. It was comforting.

His mother frowned at him as he arrived home, in her arms were the soaked clothes of the Hyuuga.

"She's the heir of her clan and my student, I will not allow her to be weak." that was his statement his only statement for how he treated her. His mother looked at him disbelieving, he left her going to his room, across from his was the guest room which was now hers. The light was on, he could hear whispering. He opened the door his bedroom, slamming the door shut.

Hinata flinched as she heard the door slam, she was wary of him. Even as Sasuke ranted about his teammates and how he couldn't stand them. She was wary, it was rare for her to hate or even dislike, but there was something about Itachi that made her want to hate him. To hurt him.

"Itachi has to be better than Kakashi!" Sasuke looked at her as he laid on her bed, she was sitting on the floor a scroll opened. Some sort of medical scroll, she looked up at him.

"is he mean to you Uchiha-san?" he shook his head.

"No, he's just a pervert." he told her matter of fact tone of voice.

"oh." she looked back at the scroll. He stared at her for awhile and then looked at the scroll his father had given him to read.

"Sasuke-san." he was slightly surprised she never stared the conversation.

"What?" she didn't look at him, instead she was looking at the door.

"Does Itachi-san scare you?" she asked him.

He paused, she was waiting for him to answer. "Maybe. Does he scare you?" he asked her.

She nodded. "He does." she told him.

She looked at the scrolls he was reading. He rolled them up and handed them to her.

"you're better at deciphering then I am." he told her, she nodded and took the scroll from him. She helped him with his studies when they were in school and he helped her with the more physical aspect of the learning. Throwing sharp objects at things was not her specialty, especially when it involved harming another.

"How are your teammates?" he asked her.

"alright." she answered, she was lying the boys ignored her and merely ordered her to remain out of the way, she merely surveyed the surroundings for them and that was it. Her teammates resented her and she knew it.

"I still can't believe that I was placed with Naruto and Sakura! I swear both of them have a thing for me!" he repeated to Hinata as she merely nodded. He frowned she wasn't paying attention to him.

"Tomorrow Itachi is taking you on a mission isn't he." she nodded rolling the medical scroll inside the scroll Sasuke handed her.

"you going to be okay?" she nodded again, she wasn't going to talk anymore he knew that but he wanted to talk a little bit more to her. He sat up as she stood, moving to her desk to place the scrolls.

"I'm going to sleep now Sasuke-san." he nodded, she waited as he stood there. He smiled at her as she stared at the floor unsure if she should wait for him to leave or ask him to leave.

"I'll see you when you get back, night hinata." he told her as he left her room.

"good night Sasuke-san." she whispered back. He heard her she knew it because the door closed a few seconds after she said it.

She turned off the light, dreading tomorrow. She had a mission with Itachi and her teammates.

Sasuke was awake earlier then normal his mother noted, she was fixing some food for Hinata and Itachi to take with them. Hinata looked at Sasuke and smiled, he smiled back at her.

"you're up early Sasuke." his mother told him smiling at the interaction between Hinata and Sasuke.

"I wanted to say good luck to Hinata." he told his mother as he sat at the table. Itachi said nothing and looked at Hinata whose smile faded away rather quickly under Itachi's gaze. Once the last bento had been packed and placed in the bag, Itachi said his goodbye and left, Hinata following behind him, Sasuke waved goodbye to her, she waved back.

The mission was not going to be an easy one, they had to protect a diplomat from some rather angry ninja's. Hinata wanted to let them get the diplomat, he was cruel a murder and had a thing for young girls, Hinata remained rather close to Itachi.

The diplomat smiled at Hinata, a smile that made her skin crawl. "what a cute little thing you are." he told her as they traveled with him. He would look at her from his horse smiling, he leaned slightly towards her his fingers brushing her hair.

"so soft aren't you." he told her.

"Hinata." Itachi said. "come here." she moved rather quickly now walking beside Itachi.

"Inuzuka, Aburame remain close to Iya-sama." Shino and Kiba nodded, the diplomat was not pleased.

Itachi looked at Hinata, she was worried, he didn't blame her. The diplomat was known to be uncaring if the girl was unwilling. "stay close." she nodded. Hoping that some one would kill the diplomat.

When they decided to set camp Hinata was to share a tent with Itachi instead of staying in her own. Hinata couldn't really sleep, Itachi was meditating incase someone attacked during the night she looked at him, Sasuke would look like him when he was older.

"what is it." Itachi asked her annoyed that she was staring at him. She looked away, rolling on her side, she knew better than to upset him. She closed her eyes, she needed sleep.

In the morning as the sun was rising Shino was awake he looked at the diplomats tent. The bugs informed him that the diplomat was still there. Kiba was waking up, he looked at the tent that Itachi and Hinata were in, his bugs informed him it was empty.

Itachi had Hinata surveying the area, "there are two camps ahead, Ninjas." Itachi nodded. Hinata looked around the area some more. She turned when she heard Shino clear his throat, he was in her blind spot, she couldn't hide the jump. Itachi merely frowned at her and Shino seemed annoyed that she would be caught unaware.

"Is Iya-sama awake?" Itachi asked, Shino merely shook his head. "is Inuzuka?" Shino nodded.

Itachi motioned for the two of them to follow him back to the camp. Kiba was waiting for them annoyed at being left alone with the diplomat who would look and him in disgust. He smiled at Hinata she moved closer to Itachi.

"are there any problems?" Iya-sama asked.

"no." Itachi told him, secretly Hinata enjoyed seeing the scared look on Iya-sama's face. It was the look that Itachi gave him that made he words seem even colder.

"we will be moving out again." he told them, Kiba and Shino grabbed their things.

Sasuke was getting irritated, he had every right to be. Kakashi was having them running around to find a cat. He could leave that to Sakura and Naruto as he wandered around the village. He was bored without Hinata there to talk to. His mother was teasing him about Hinata. Saying how cute they looked together. He looked in the direction of the rain, Hinata was going that way for her mission, he hoped that she would be okay.


	3. Do It

-1Chapter 3: Do It.

Sasuke stared at the small trinket that Sakura was holding. He took it from her, now curious. Sakura smiled at him and blushed.

"You give it to the one you love and they'll be yours forever." she told him smiling prettily at him. He paid no attention. All he had to do was write the name of the one he loved and then she would be his, forever. He nodded, he would write Hinata's name on the space provided on the trinket. He took the pen from the bender paying for the trinket and wrote Hinata's name out, Sakura watched her smiling fading. She wanted him to write her name out, not Hinata's.

"Hey sakura I'll write your name on mine!" naruto told Sakura as he paid the vendor, Sakura only nodded.

Chapter 3: Do it.

This mission was going to be an important one, Hinata was going to take her first life. And Itachi was going to encourage her to do it.

Iya-sama was not pleased. Itachi had almost given his students permission to let Iya-sama die. Shino and Kiba were behind him a good distance too, since Akamaru and Shino's bugs seemed to upset the horse. Hinata and Itachi made up the front, Hinata with her Byakugan surveyed the surroundings, Iya-sama found her disgusting when she used it, so she was using it. Shino and Kiba were a little more then irritated, their teammate may have been weak and useless and yes they resented having to be stuck with her but she did not deserve Iya-sama treating her like a whore and Itachi throwing her mothers status in her face.

Earlier much to the horror of their moral values Iya-sama attempted to make a deal with Itachi.

"Itachi-kun." Iya-sama started, his tone made team 8 feel as if it was giving them cavities.

"what is it?" Itachi asked frowning that Iya-sama would so much as talk to him less ask something.

"I can pay you double the price for the mission if you give me the girl for the night." Iya-sama offered.

Kiba and Shino frowned, as Hinata looked on in horror. "her mother was the whore, my student is not." Itachi told Iya-sama, with a rather cold edge to his voice. After that Iya-sama was silent. Kiba walked over to Hinata and whispered in her ear.

"if he tries anything me and Shino will kill him for you, we already got the money." after that he went back to his post beside Shino. Hinata was a little surprised that Kiba and Shino would offer something like that. It made her feel better. Itachi looked at them from the corner of his eye, it was rare to see Kiba or Shino interact with Hinata. He was watching a blue moon in progress.

Hinata stopped and pointed to her left. "there are traps set." Hinata told Itachi who nodded. He turned and looked at Shino.

"disarm the traps Shino." Shino nodded raising his arms and standing still while his bugs crawled out from his skin. Iya-sama recoiled in disgust. Kiba crossed his arms and smiled at Iya-sama.

Itachi looked at Hinata, "are there anymore?" he asked her. She shook her head, Shino's bugs where getting the traps set for them, she looked around some more it was going to be smooth sailing after this. It was they ran into no trouble making it to the diplomats home in record time.

Sasuke was also going to have his own special moment. Today he was going to find the secret room under a mat, he had found it on accident. He had noticed someone exiting through it and curiosity got the best of him. The secret meeting place, after the scene was clear he entered the room. He read the tablet, it made no sense to him then but in nine years it would.

Hinata was in her room, Itachi had decided to remain in the shadows, he was sure that Iya-sama would try something. The boys had their own room which was fine with them, they were tired and ready to relieve themselves of Itachi's presence.

Hinata had drifted off to sleep glad to be on a bed and not the floor. As she slept Iya-sama entered her room, Itachi watched his eyes changing to red in the dark. Iya-sama climbed on to her bed and leaned over Hinata, smoothing her hair and smiled.

"There's no one to save you now." he whispered. She was starting to wake up once she did Iya-sama covered her mouth with his hand, smiling at her. "It's just you and me now." he told her. Hinata's eyes widened with the realization of what he had planned for her. It wasn't until he was thrown against the wall that Iya-sama realized what Itachi had in plan for him. Itachi handed Hinata a Kunai, smiling at her as she took it, fear and adrenaline making her edgy.

"Do it." Itachi whispered, his eyes making Iya-sama remain still. "Kill him."

Hinata's hand tightened on the handle of the Kunai. She stared at Iya-sama.

"Do it." without dropping the eye contact with Iya-sama Itachi moved to stand behind Hinata. She was breathing hard, fear rolling off of her in waves. Her Byakugan flashing off and on with the sharp rises and fall of her charka.

"Kill him." Hinata's hand trembled as she walked over to Iya-sama, Itachi following closely behind her. Once she reached him her hand began to tremble more violently as she raised the Kunai never taking her eyes off of Iya-sama.

"Why are you hesitating" Itachi asked her. He was behind her now, his hand on hers now to help steady her. The other hand was stroking her hair, attempting to comfort her. "he wouldn't hesitate. " he told her now whispering in her ear. Soft comforting voice, the voice a mother uses on a scared child.

"He was going to violate you. If he did Shino and Kiba would kill him. Do you think he would hesitate to kill them to kill you. To use you like you father used your mother, like he killed her." her hand steadied as she brought it down into the heart of Iya-sama.

Itachi smiled at Hinata. "I'm so proud of you." he held her to him as she dropped the kunai on the ground. The nose seemed so loud, as loud as Iya-sama was as he died. She clung to Itachi as he held her, he was stroking her back.

"I'm so proud of you Hinata." he repeated to her, she looked up at him, and smiled softly, she didn't know why. Maybe it was because he had given her a compliment. Itachi smiled back at her, soon she would be eating out of his hand.

In the morning Iya-sama is found dead in his bed, apparently an angry servant killed him. Itachi took his team and left, they had already been paid and had completed the mission. They brought Iya-sama home safely.

When they reached the leaf Kiba and Shino left returning home, Hinata and Itachi made their way back to the Uchiha compound. Itachi looked at Hinata. She was quieter, once she reached the compound she was greeted by Sasuke. She did something odd, she hugged him. He hugged her back, awkwardly, Itachi watched, as did his mother from the window.

This was interesting to both of them.

"I killed him." Hinata whispered to Sasuke, he looked at Itachi. Glaring at his brother, somehow believing him responsible for this. Itachi merely left, going in to the house. "I killed him, so he wouldn't hurt me."

"I would of done the same." Sasuke told her stroking her back the way his mother would stroke his.

"you can cry if you want, I wont tell." he whispered to her. She looked up at him, he smiled at her. Telling her that same thing his father told his mother when she was distraught.

"I'm with you now, no one will hurt you as long as I am here." he told her, giving her the same smile his father used. She smiled at him, and nodded.

This was a very important moment for them. Hinata and Sasuke had fallen in love.


	4. Run Away

Chapter 4: Run Away

Run and don't look back. Just keep running and when you feel like you can't run anymore, keep running. Once you stop the monster will get you and when he does there is nothing you can do. For he waits in that shadow, waiting for you to stop long enough so he can kill you. That is why you must run.

Blood drips down the monsters fingertips as he walks red clouds in his wake. He has become a monster in their eyes but in hers he is merely Itachi. She stands there with the same expressionless face, he smiles at her. Proud that she is quiet, that she is good. She knows that he will not protect her from the monsters; he will merely create new ones for her.

Ones that Hinata could not runaway from, even if she tried. He knew she would try to with Sasuke holding her hand.

Hinata looked at the fallen ninja's wondering who was going to be missing them. Itachi looked at her and smiled the same cold smile she has started to see on Sasuke. She merely nodded, wondering if Sasuke was missing her.

Chapter 4: Run Away.

"Her mother was a whore." That was a sentence Hinata had become to familiar with when people mentioned her name. Hinata merely continued walking, she knew her mother was a whore, Hanabi's mother reminded her time and time again. Till it didn't matter anymore, all that mattered was making it home. She had been an idiot and decided to voice her opinion to her teammates, they hated Itachi and while they tolerated her presence they still resented her for being weak and were hesitant to confide in her. She was Itachi's puppet, which was what Kiba had called her.

She had merely stared at him. She was his teammate, she didn't confide in Itachi and he did not confide in her, neither her teammates believed her claim. So she merely remained silent, again.

She wasn't Itachi's puppet and she wasn't the daughter of a whore. Her mother was Haiashi's mistress. Her mother had been a beautiful woman; she taught Hinata a very valuable lesson on death. It could be brought on to anyone, no matter who or where they where.

"Hinata." She turned when someone called her name. Neji stood there; from the look he was not happy. She nodded at her cousin and walked over to him. Neji and Hinata were close to each other. Their grief had bonded them. Both mourning the loss of their parents and lost in the maze of their fate.

"Neji-Nissan." she addressed him and bowed slightly. "Is everything alright?" she asked him.

He nodded. "I was concerned and wished to see you." He told her. She smiled and nodded.

"I am doing well, I am treated well." She told him as they began to walk again.

"I'm glad." She nodded at his statement.

She looked at her cousin, she knew him well enough to know that there was something wrong. She would have to be patient but he would tell her. He always did.

"What do you think of Hinata?" Sasuke nearly tripped over his own feet when Itachi asked him the question.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked loudly as he regained his balance.

"Are you interested in her?" Itachi replied.

"She's nice." Sasuke answered.

"You two should spend more time together." With that Itachi left leaving Sasuke staring dumbly at his retreating back. And wondering what had just happened.

Neji walked with Hinata to the Uchiha compound. Both walked in silence, it was something that they where used too. She would sometimes look at her cousins covered forehead, one day on Hanabi's' 16th birthday Hinata would get the seal too. She was ready for that moment she had been ready ever since Hanabi turned three and never received the cursed seal.

Neji looked at her, knowing what she was thinking. "It's not a painful as you believe." He told her. She merely looked ahead. Hanabi was being groomed to take the position of heir, she was stronger, she was the favorite of the councils, and Hinata was not.

"Are you being treated well?" Neji asked.

Hinata smiled and nodded, Neji was always worried about her. Even when they were little, he let her tag along, she was his shadow. Always clinging to his sleeve, he was her protector. It was a title and assignment that he did not mind.

"Has Sasuke been bothering you?" Neji asked her.

Hinata blinked. "No."

Neji nodded. He was slightly jealous of her relationship with Sasuke. He had been the only male in her life and he had enjoyed the idea of her and him. Now she had Sasuke, and like a child with a new toy, all the other toys lost their interest.

Once they reached the main gate, Neji said his goodbye.

After awhile Hinata and Sasuke were once again in her room. Hinata was sitting at her desk while Sasuke was lying on her bed reading a comic. Sasuke would look at her occasionally and smile. She looked cute right now as she concentrated on her scrolls again, she was a medical genius. Her hair was pulled back in the low pony tail. Like her cousin wore his.

She looked up from her desk and turned her head to look at him. "You're staring at me."

He nodded. "You look cute." She blushed and looked away quickly. Sasuke smile grew a few inches, he liked seeing her flustered.

"You saw Neji today?" Sasuke asked.

"He walked me home and we talked." She told him still staring at the scroll in front of her.

"About?" Sasuke asked interested.

"How I'm doing and when I'll go back." Hinata told him.

Sasuke stared at her; he didn't want her to go. He was used to her being here she had been here for two years, with him.

"Do you have to go back?" Sasuke asked, unable to hide the pleading tone in his voice.

"I don't want to." She told him.

"Then stay." He answered. "Stay here with me."

She shook her head it wasn't that easy, no matter how much she whished it was.

"I can't." he frowned at her answer. "I'm a Hyuuga."

"What does that have to with anything!" he demanded now sitting up on bed.

She didn't answer, she didn't know how to. Neji could explain it, but she couldn't.

"My fate is decided and one can not go against fate." She told him, the words sounding foreign to her own ears.

Sasuke stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders resting his cheek on the top of her head. She placed her hands on arm.

"I don't want you to go." He told her softly. "Stay. Stay with me." He asked her.

She nodded. "I'll stay with you."

"promise." He asked her softly.

"I promise." She whispered, knowing full well that it was a promise she could never keep.


	5. Witness

To rcr, I did rewrite Children's Games; the new one will make more sense. Thank you for reviewing.

Chapter 5: Witness.

A word is merely a word until it is spoken, and then it is a fact. The same logic applies to a secret. A secret is a secret before it is uttered, as of now Hinata was whispering a secret of her own. Sasuke leaned in close to hear her.

"I like you." She whispered softly in his ear.

Sasuke smiled and motioned her to come closer she did, he didn't whisper a secret he merely gave her a kiss. His secret was now a spoken fact. Hinata did not mind.

It was a secret, both of them clinging to each other. His head on her shoulder as she clung to him in the shadows, her breath heavy on his skin. She kept her eyes closed even in the darkness she was fearful. There was too much ridding on them that if caught everything would be lost, and they would be separated. That did not stop them, it only made them more desperate to be together to remain together.

Neji called her blind; then again he had better eyes then her. His eyes where pure they were unclouded by need and desire. Hers where clouded, by a thing that bordered on something darker then obsession, something called love.

Or at least that was what they called it.

Itachi called it success; he had his trump card now as he watched his younger brother and his student. She was his greatest success it was almost a shame that he did not save her for himself.

Chapter 5: Witness.

In his hand he clenched a small trinket, it was nothing to the casual viewer to one with an eye as trained as Neji it was a promise. Neji watched thru Byakugan eyes, as his younger cousin and the younger Uchiha whispered amongst each other. He was fearful of what would be her fate; he wished he could change it somehow for her. He was her protector that was his purpose in life to remain beside her for the rest of his life. He had promised her that when they were children. She had been introduced to him at the age of three and they had been inseparable.

They had been inseparable, and then Uchiha Sasuke had come along.

When they were little she had been his shadow, clinging to his sleeve. He should have been annoyed but he wasn't. He finally had something that no one could take away. Something that was more then a memory, both had lost their mothers at a young age it was in their grief that they found comfort.

Neji was content; it was a game of house that would never end. She was his and he was hers.

That was their fate, now she wanted to go against fate it something he could not allow. His father had felt pity for him when Hiashi assigned Hinata under Itachi's care, Neji had been forced in some way to awaken from his childhood dream and see a little more of the reality that surrounded his cousin.

It was a cruel awakening, for the first time since Neji was three he slept alone. There was no sound of hurried footsteps; he had been unable to sleep the first night. Without whispering that she was safe from whatever nightmare haunted her, she was safe with him. Safe in his arms, where no harm would ever befall her, he was the genius of his clan. No one could defeat a genius, especially when the genius was a Hyuuga.

Neji's eyes narrowed as he continued to watch the interaction between his cousin and Sasuke. It was painful, to see her smile for another, to see her with another.

Sasuke handed Hinata the small trinket and smiled.

"What is it?" Hinata asked curious.

"You give it to the one you love and they'll be yours forever." Sasuke told her.

"oh." She stared at the trinket. "I don't have one for you." She told him mournfully.

"You can give me a kiss." He told her a little too excitedly.

"A kiss." She whispered not looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded and tilted his head before closing his eyes. She smiled and kissed him softly her lips on his and his on hers. It was not her first kiss, but it was the first kiss she had ever given.

Neji frowned, Hinata was going against her fate, it was something that Neji would not allow, it was their fate, and no one could deny their fate. Hinata was his and he was hers.


	6. Broken Promise

Chapter 6: Broken Promise

It was snowing; she watched as the snow covered the ground. The snow made everything seem clean again, yet she knew under that snow was blood. It should of disturbed her but now as she watched the snow land on the fallen ninja's body she felt nothing. That was what disturbed her, the inability to feel.

"It gets easier with time." Kiba told her.

"It shouldn't." Hinata whispered.

"You are so weird Hyuuga." Kiba said before pulling his kunai from the fallen ninja's throat. Once he had he looked at her and winked.

"You are almost as weird as Aburame and Uchiha." Once he spoke those words she sighed. Kiba was a strange one; she smiled and shook her head. He was the weird one.

"But that's alright I like you more." She stared at him unsure how to take that statement, she chose to ignore it, deciding that he was teasing her.

Chapter 6: Broken Promise

It wasn't that Neji was a cruel man it was simply that he was ruled by fate. When Hinata had first been introduced to him he had felt a strong attraction to his cousin. He was protective of her and now that she was gone he realized his missed and even loved his silent and weaker cousin.

Watching her with the Uchiha hurt him, he watched them touch and kiss. He watched as Sasuke took his Hinata's virginity. Neji was tired of watching, he was very tired of watching.

He decided that he would act instead of merely watch from the shadows after all Hinata had made a promise when she was little to Neji. She had promised to be his bride; he was going to hold her to the promise, even if she was eight when the promise was made.

The council had already agreed to Neji's plea, the wedding would soon take place and Hinata would not gain the cursed seal. Neji was saving Hinata from a fate that was worse then death and in doing so he gained the cousin he loved more then life itself.

Sasuke loved Hinata, he really did. She even loved him back, almost as much as he loved her. Which was saying a lot, at the moment she was asleep he looked at her and smiled as he used her desk since it was cleaner then his. He liked having her here she was a calming influence, Itachi was even calmer.

Sasuke frowned and looked at Hinata, wondering what happened when she was alone with Itachi, he shook his head to remove the mental image of Hinata and Itachi together, and he was almost done with the first scroll when the door to her bedroom opened.

His mother stood there at the door a hurt and unsure expression on her face, Sasuke stood.

"Mom?" Sasuke asked.

"Wake Hinata up and then tell her to come to the front door." His mother told him softly.

Sasuke only nodded and walked over to Hinata, he shook her shoulder till she opened her eyes.

"Sasuke?" she questioned.

"Wake up, something's going on." He told her softly.

She nodded sitting up and following him still in her pajamas. She stood behind Sasuke as they reached the front door there were Hyuuga guards.

Hinata looked at Sasuke it was a promise she knew she could never keep. No matter how hard she wanted to. Hinata held Sasuke's hand, she wanted to scream to cry to beg, but that was something she was not allowed to do, instead she merely squeezed Sasuke's hand and walked towards the Hyuuga guards.

"Where are you taking her?" Sasuke asked.

"She is returning to the Hyuuga compound." Itachi told Sasuke.

"Hinata." Sasuke whispered.

He watched like her he was forced to keep his composure. All he wanted to do was scream that this was unfair that she was his that she promised. Instead he let them take her back to the compound she hated.

He let them take her away from him.

Outside it had begun to snow.


	7. in his brothers shadow

Chapter 7: In His Brothers Footsteps.

Sasuke hated Itachi, it was a gradual hate that slowly twisted his insides, a hatred that burned. Sasuke had every reason too, Itachi was his brother. He glared at his brothers back, wishing Itachi to burn in flames, he never did.

"Still pretending?" Hinata asked Sasuke as she moved to sit beside him on his bed.

"One day." He told her, "It won't be pretend."

Hinata merely sighed and placed her head on his shoulder. He placed his hand on hers and smiled. He could smell her; it was a strange scent it was hers alone.

He had been training harder and harder, attempting to surpass his brother and he was succeeding, with every step that took his out of his brother's shadow Hinata feared. Till Hinata could no longer keep her observation to herself

"You're becoming power hungry." she told him.

Sasuke frowned at her. "Are you talking his side?" Sasuke hissed.

"no." she told him softly, as she ran her fingers along his face.

He leaned into her touch and smiled. "Hinata." He whispered softly.

He stared at her as she smiled at him. "Right or wrong I am always on your side." She whispered. He stared at her long and hard before he spoke again.

"Promise me." He ordered her; she looked up at her and smiled.

"I promise." She answered truthfully.

She leaned in and kissed him, she was become fearful. Losing her self in the thin line that Sasuke was walking, he was leaving Itachi's shadow, and Sasuke's shadow was darker.

Right or wrong she would remain beside him, he was the man she loved and he loved her. That had to be enough to keep them from falling into the darkness.

Chapter 7: In His Brothers Shadow.

Sasuke had watched her leave his life, he stared at her empty room, for 5 years she had lived there in that room, her room. He entered her room, her smell was still there, the smell of spilt perfume on the carpet he closed his eyes. She was gone, and he was alone.

With Hinata he had found someone to confide in, and they took her away from him.

Hinata was dressed in her finest robes; Itachi absently brushed the back of his hand along her face. "You could almost be beautiful." Itachi told her. She merely glared at him. He smiled at her.

"You have what Sasuke lacks." Itachi told her as he caressed her face. "Hate." He told her softly, he leaned in close enough so his lips brushed hers.

"You are my prize student." He told her honestly.

She said nothing only turned her head. "I want Sasuke."

Itachi merely smiled. "He's training to surpass me."

Hinata nodded. "He will surpass you Itachi, and then he will kill you." She smiled at the last part.

Itachi said nothing, merely handed her a paper. "Take it." With that he left her alone in her bedroom, for awhile she doubted that he was even there. She looked at the paper in her hand and opened it up, she cringed. The Akatsuki was on the move and the Sand was the first stop.


	8. the sand and the spy

Chapter 8: The Sand and the Spy

Neji was having a dream; it was more of an omen, an omen of things to come. He was kneeling at the table, Hinata kneeling across from him, in-between them was tea and snacks, and she poured him some tea and smiled at his reluctance to take the cup he offered.

"You're different." Neji told her as he finally took the cup of tea she offered. She smiled at him and poured herself some tea.

"Itachi changes people." Was her answer.

"We were close once right." Neji asked his cousin.

"We thought we were." She answered him taking a sip of tea before placing her cup down, she looked at her cousin with a serious glance.

"Will you forgive me?" she asked him.

He was taken aback with her question. "For what?" he asked.

"Leaving you alone." She told him.

He stared at her as she kept his gaze, "Pray for my soul Neji." She told him.

"Hinata." He started before she interrupted him.

"You are the only one who will pray for me." She stated.

"Why would I have to pray for you?" he asked her, fearful for her answer.

"I am more than my mother's daughter, my dear cousin, I am Itachi's prodigy." She answered, taking another sip of tea from her cup.

Neji followed her lead and drank some of the tea, even in his dream it was tasteless.

He opened his eyes and rolled over on to his side his cousin slept there on her side, sharing the mat with him, she felt safe with him, with her cousin.

He stared at her, she had changed. There was something cold about her, she was so withdrawn, he moved closer to his cousin.

"I'll protect you," he whispered against her hair, he had been given that job and enjoyed it, because he loved his cousin. As he held her Hinata dreamt of her earlier mission with Itachi, she moved closer towards the warmth.

Diedara smiled at Hinata as she sat beside Itachi, it was a well known fact she was being groomed to become a member, if a position was free one day.

"What you doing Hyuuga yeah." Diedara asked her.

"Praying." She answered.

"For who, Yeah?" he asked her again.

"Myself, I am praying for my soul." She answered.

"That's deep yeah." He answered staring at her, she was like a statue made from porcelain, and Itachi silenced anymore conversation.

"There is no god Hyuuga, there is merely yourself." He snapped at her.

She looked at him and nodded. "What ever you say Itachi-sensei." He glared at her, in the morning they where to attack the sand, take the tail from Gaara. He was going to die, she almost felt sorry for Gaara. She handed Kisame the scroll, he smiled at her. One of the Akatsuki was from the sand and had that document on his person, once she translated it and learned it she was ready, she would be the one to remove the tail from Gaara's body.

"Have you memorized it?" Itachi demanded.

"yes." She answered.

"In two days we move, till them you are to rest." He ordered her, she merely nodded.

It was a ninja's destiny to die, she closed her eyes and thought of Sasuke. He had almost been unwilling to let her out of bed that morning, she had wanted to stay in the warmth he offered, she wanted, a ninja never wanted. They had no reason too.

But she did want; she wanted a life with Sasuke. She blinked and opened her eyes to be greeted by the sleeping face of her cousin.

"Sasuke." She thought as she closed her eyes.

"Hinata." She opened her eyes, Neji was awake.

"What?" she asked him softly.

"I love you." He told her she said nothing. After awhile he spoke again.

"There is a mission to the sand; the Akatsuki is on the move." He told her, she nodded.

"I know. Everyone is to leave to the sand." She answered him, moving closer to his warmth.

"I want you to stay close to me." He told her. "I don't trust you're teammates."

She sat up, the sun would be rising soon, she would need to return to her room, tomorrow they left for the sand, and she looked at her cousin and smiled at him.

"I have missed you, Neji-Nissan." He smiled at her. He had missed her too, he had even spoken to her father and the council had agreed Neji could take his little cousin as wife.

Sasuke walked over to the kitchen, he paused at the guest bedrooms door, it had been her room, he was about to reach for the door, when he stopped himself, they were to meet in the afternoon, they had a date set for the afternoon, Sasuke would take her as wife one day.


	9. seals and blood

Chapter 9: three seals and her blood

She could take her time, Itachi nodded at her as the Akatsuki began the barrier around her and Gaara, and she looked at the fallen ninja, once she had been afraid of him. She kneeled beside him, brushing some hair away from his face, she smiled softly.

"I will pray for your soul." she whispered to him softly. With that said and done she began to perform the seals. She wondered if Gaara would feel pain. She kneeled beside him until she was finished, the tail sealed in the charm she held in her hand she was tired and weak, her charka drained in the process.

"Is it done, yeah?" Diedara asked her.

She looked at him and nodded. He smiled at her as he walked over to her side and lifted her up; he was shocked at how light she was.

"Where is Itachi?" She asked.

"He's waiting for you, yeah." Diedara told her, she nodded then closed her eyes giving into sleep.

Sasuke looked at his teammates, they had lost Gaara to the Akatsuki, and naturally he blamed everyone but himself. He looked around till he saw Hinata on Itachi's back; he walked quickly over to her, worried that she was injured.

"Hinata!" Sasuke whispered as he took her from Itachi, she opened her eyes and smiled at him, he smiled back at her.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Of course she is. Me and Shino had to rescue her from two Akatsuki members." Kiba barked at Sasuke annoyed that no one was worried about him. Hinata smiled and looked at Kiba and Shino.

"Thank you." She told them. Kiba merely nodded and looked away a faint blush on his cheeks, Shino did nothing.

"Our mission is a failure, Gaara is dead." Shino reminded them.

Sasuke nodded as Hinata clung to him, their mission had been a failure. Neji frowned as Sasuke and Hinata seemed to cling to each other.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked her softly she nodded and smiled at him.

"Are you?" she asked him back, he smiled and nodded, he was holding her again of course he was alright.

The trip back to the leaf was done in silence; Hinata looked at Itachi, wondering if he would believe her weak that she felt guilt for taking Gaara's life. She would never tell Itachi that, he would not be pleased.

Sasuke noticed the looks Hinata sent Itachi occasionally, the anger and jealousy grew with every glance. Itachi was always taking everything away from him, but he would be dammed if he allowed anyone to take her, Hinata was his. That was simply the way it was.

The fourth Hokeage frowned as he read the file placed before him by the head of the Uchiha clan.

"Are you sure?" The fourth asked.

"Itachi is the spy for the Akatsuki and he is grooming either the Hyuuga or Sasuke to take his place." The head of the Uchiha said, as he frowned.

He was seeking out his son but it was for the greater good.

"The Hyuuga's are planning to wed Hinata to Neji so he can be heir. This will remove her from Itachi's hold." The fourth said in a hushed tone. "Though I don't believe your youngest will be pleased, he himself wished to wed the girl, did he not?"

The head of the Uchiha clan said nothing; he merely nodded wondering how all of this would be played out in the end.

Sasuke kissed Hinata's forehead as they lay there on the grass, her jacket under them.

"You and Itachi seemed close." He whispered as his hand traveled down her stomach.

"I love only you, Sasuke." She reminded him as she pulled him in for another kiss.

"I'll bring you something back from the mission." He told her softly against her lips.

"Your return is enough." There was no more talking once Hinata undid the zipper of Sasuke's pants.

Elsewhere Neji watched a frown on his face the wedding date would be moved up to tomorrow when team 6 had a mission to the snow.

The next day, Hinata was awoken earlier then normal and dressed rather quickly, she had no idea what was going on till he looked in the mirror, it was a wedding kimono, she stared in horror, thinking this to be a dream, until her cousin spoke.

"I will tolerate your affairs no longer." She turned and looked at Neji; he was torn from being pleased to being angered that he had a habit of watching his cousin with her Uchiha lover.

"Today we wed." he told her. And that day they did wed, even if the groom was slightly happier then the bride, it was the perfect wedding.


	10. silence is her scream

Chapter 10: silence is her scream.

She stood knee deep in the water, staring at the back of the man she once called Sasuke. He was wearing his brother's clothes, the Akatsuki jacket big on his smaller frame.

"We follow in their footsteps do we not." Sasuke asked her. "I follow the path my brother took and you the path of your fathers, married and living in sin with me. We had no choice in our fates." He stated.

Hinata said nothing; she merely looked at her reflection in the water. Trying to find the words that would be best for the situation, she found none.

"You will remain by my side will you not?" He asked her, she merely nodded unable to find her voice, "even onto death." She whispered. Her voice strained as she began to cry, the water turning red with her tears. He turned and looked at her, as she clutched her side the blood flowing stronger now, his eyes widening as she smiled.

"Even unto death." He ran over to her, holding her in his arms. "I love you." She whispered before closing her eyes, he held her and screamed, somewhere in hell Itachi smiled.

Chapter 10: Silence is her Scream

The nightmare was there in the back of her head, she looked at her cousin as she poured him some tea, and he was her husband now. He was the only one pleased at the situation; she did not let him suspect her displeasure. It would not due.

"You were restless last night." Neji told her.

She nodded. "I dreamt of a bad omen" she answered him. Taking a bite of some rice it was tasteless in her mouth.

"A bad omen?" he questioned. She nodded deciding to change the subject.

"Is the food to your liking?" she asked him.

"yes." He told her nodding. "You have a gift with cooking." He told his wife who smiled prettily at him.

Sasuke poked at his plate, Hinata was wed to another. His mother smiled sadly at her son.

"You need to eat something." She told him.

"She was going to marry me." Sasuke whispered.

"She was, but now she isn't." Itachi coldly stated annoyed at the unseen complication in his plan. With Hinata so far away he didn't have the control he needed to ensure she remained on the right path.

Which was not a good thing he was going to have to leave soon and take the Hyuuga with him, it was time to collect the tails, the one in the leaf was a good target, and he was a member of Sasuke's team. Naruto was next; he would need Hinata's knowledge of seals to break this one.

As he ate his breakfast her words echoed in his mind, Hinata was his greatest of accomplishment. "It is your brother whom I am loyal to, not you." She had told him as she bathed in the hot spring on one of their missions.

"What's so special about the tails?" she questioned him.

"You can be granted a wish if you collect them all." He told her. She laughed; she had such a wonderful laugh.

"It sounds like some fairy tail." She answered amused. Itachi smiled at her, as she smiled back.

"It's not, that is what the Akatsuki seek the power that can be granted." He reminded her.

"Sasuke is becoming power hungry." She whispered.

"You fear for my brother's safety?" he questioned her.

"He is stronger then you and he will kill you." She reminded him before exiting the hot spring. "I will be there to ensure that he does." Itachi's eyes traveled the length of her bare skin as he smiled.

"You are you're mothers daughter Hinata, do not forget that." Itachi reminded her coldly.

She stood there naked in the moonlight, "when do you attack the leaf for the nine tails?" she questioned.

He didn't answer only beckoned her closer; she merely turned and left leaving him alone in the water, for the tenth time in Itachi's life he wished he had kept the Hyuuga for himself.

Instead she was now her cousins and he had made it clear he would not tolerate her affairs. She swore her faithfulness to him, and he believed her.


	11. Promise of a wish

Chapter 11: The promise of a wish

"Congrats on your wedding!" Kiba shouted at Hinata as he hugged her, Shino merely stood there as Kiba released Hinata to pour some sake for her. "Drink! Be merry!" Kiba bellowed.

Hinata looked at Shino who said and did nothing as Kiba kept one hand firmly on her hip.

"May you and your husband live long and prosper and may he be good in bed!" Hinata sighed and tugged on Kiba's sleeve that silenced him.

"What's wrong?" She questioned him.

"He believes you are the spy." Shino answered.

Hinata looked at Shino confused. "The spy?"

"The one who is working with the Akatsuki and the sound." He informed her.

"you're not right." Kiba asked her.

"I am not the spy." She answered Kiba, who sighed in relief.

"Itachi is." Shino concluded, Hinata neither denied nor agreed. She took a sip of the sake and stared at the sushi that had been laid in front of them. Shino seemed fine with that answer, even if it wasn't a real one.

"He's scary huh." Kiba whispered to Hinata.

"who." She asked him.

"Itachi, Akamaru can't stand him." he told her as if it was common knowledge.

"oh." She answered.

"But he likes you!" Kiba announced.

Hinata looked at Shino as if asking for assistance, he offered her some.

"How is Neji?" Shino asked.

"He is doing fine, he returns from his mission tomorrow." She answered.

"Then there is time for you to meet Sasuke, is there not." He insinuated.

"I swore to be faithful.And i will be" She answered.

"You are your mother's child." Shino replied.

"Shut up about that Shino, Hinata is Hinata!" Kiba yelled.

"It's alright Kiba." Hinata said soothingly. She was used to this sort of talk.

Sasuke glared at Itachi, he couldn't stop glaring. Hinata was denied from him, Itachi had taken great pleasure in telling him that.

"She's not a virgin, but Neji will not mind, it will be his child she bears." Itachi said as he watched his brother's reaction to the statement. "She was going to be yours but, she proved herself to worth something." Itachi continued before Sasuke lunged at him.

Itachi merely side stepped. "pathetic." Itachi continued. As he continued to side step Sasuke's advances. "No wonder she chose her cousin over ..." Itachi's sentence was cut short as Sasuke slammed his fist against Itachi's mouth.

"He is stronger then you Itachi." Hinata's whisper repeated in his head.

"Shut up about her!" Sasuke yelled landing another blow.

"He will kill you." She had whispered against his ear.

"She loves me not him!" Sasuke screamed his attacks faster and deadlier. It wasn't until he felt his father pulling off of Itachi did Sasuke realize he had beaten his older brother, Itachi looked at him both their eyes red, Hinata's words echoing over and over in Itachi's brain.

"He will kill you Itachi." She whispered as she stood. Itachi watched her as she wiped the blood from her lips, "and I will watch him do it." She told him with a smile.

Chapter 11

The Akatsuki where on the move, their next target was Naruto, he was an easy target. He was always in the open, Hinata looked at Sasuke, and he had agreed to help her. He was going to betray everyone for her, for their love he would follow in his brother's footsteps.

"Are you sure?" she whispered between rushed kisses.

"I will bring you Naruto, in return run away with me." Sasuke whispered as he fumbled with the band of her pants.

"I will, then we can be together." She whispered, undoing his pants.

"forever." He told her staring into her eyes. "You and me."

He kissed her, he would bring her Naruto, and he would betray everyone for the warmth of this one girl, his girl. Solely his Hinata.


	12. A Whispered Scream

Chapter 12: a whispered scream

Hyuuga Hinata stood there, staring out the window at the storm. Today had been a strange day; she placed a hand on the glass. The cold felt good on her fevered skin, there was something happening out there, she knew it.

"You are still awake." Hinata turned slightly alarmed that her cousin had once again been able to sneak up on her.

"The storm, I can't sleep." Hinata told him returning to stare out the window.

Neji joined his cousin to stare out the window at the storm.

Chapter 12: A Whispered Scream

Uchiha Sasuke stood there in his bathroom, his seal flickering in the darkness; he had awoken from a dream, a long dream that centered on a relationship with the Hyuuga heir. He stared at himself in the mirror, only his outline and the red eyes visible.

"It's a dream." He whispered to himself. "Just a dream." He repeated.

Only Sasuke doubted that, everything was too detailed that even now he doubted fantasy and reality. He knew how she felt, how she smelled, his hand twitched. Itachi had killed his clan; Itachi had never been assigned a team. Yet he had memories or dreams of a second life where he had grown up with his family.

12 year old Sasuke clutched his head as the seal continued to flicker.

"forever." Her whispered voice repeated in his head. "I love you."

Sasuke shook his head, he had never had any interaction with the Hyuuga, yet he knew her.

"Forever." Sasuke repeated once more staring in the mirror. "You and me."


	13. A Memory or a Dream

Chapter 13: A Memory or a Dream

Hinata was either paranoid, or Uchiha Sasuke was stalking her. He was just appearing everywhere even when she went to the barbeque place with her team, he was there with his team but he was there. He was everywhere, she kept this observation or feeling to herself, Kiba and Shino had a tendency to over react when it came to her. She didn't blame them though, she had proven that she was weak and needed their protection over and over again.

As she sat there in the restaurant she tried to stop the need to turn on her Byakugan, she could feel his stare, his eyes where on her.

"Hinata, you really need to get over this whole freezing up when Naruto is around." Kurenai told her student, taking into account that Hinata had said nothing and was fidgeting in her seat. "It's not healthy."

"What?" Hinata asked finally realizing that Kurenai was speaking to her. Kiba and Shino looked at each other sharing a look. Kurenai sighed and placed some neat and veggies on Hinata's empty plate.

"Eat." Kurenai told her, Hinata nodded. Not noticing the looks her teammates where giving her nor the one that Kurenai shot Kakashi.

Sasuke was watching Hinata; he had been ever since he left the Uchiha compound. He couldn't stop he wanted to be with her, a large part of him wanted the comfort that she could give him. The comfort that she had given him before, he wanted her. No one but her suspected anything he knew that much.

Naruto was just happy that Sasuke wanted to hang out, even if he had chosen to eat here instead of the ramen shop.

"What are your plans today Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

"train." He answered. The seal was staring to aggravate him, he didn't have one in the past or his dream, and he frowned, confusing himself again.

Kakashi noticed the glance that Kurenai gave him and sighed. Hinata really needed therapy or something; it wasn't his fault that they where here, Sakura had suggested this and Sasuke had seconded it because he was sick and tired of ramen.

"We should hurry up and eat then." Kakashi stated.

"Why?" Sasuke asked as he placed some more meat on the grill.

"You want to train don't you?" Kakashi told his student.

"After I eat." Sasuke stated.

Hinata poked at her food, her Byakugan flickering off and on. Hinata was becoming stressed, stressed enough that Kiba placed his hand on hers.

"Maybe we should leave." Kiba asked Kurenai.

"no, I'm sorry I just…" Hinata started then stopped she didn't want to tell them if she was wrong then it would cause a scene if she was right then, well she didn't want to be right.

Kiba squeezed her hand looking at his weaker teammate worriedly. "Here drink." He handed her the water, she took it drinking slowly.

"Are you ill?" Shino asked her, worried that his teammate was freaking out.

"no." Hinata told him her Byakugan activating, as she stared at Sasuke. He was looking at her, his eyes boring into her. She closed her eyes and shook her head, unsure how to deal with this, with him.

He had followed her all morning, she had sought safety in the presence of her teammates, but still Sasuke persisted. He was there she knew she had checked her Byakugan activating. He had stared at her, and she had moved closer to her teammates.

Sasuke was weirded out that she was close to her teammates, she wasn't before. He frowned as he caught the look Kurenai sent Kakashi.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi looked at him curious that Sasuke was the only one that had picked up on the situation.

"Nothing." Kakashi told his student. Sasuke looked at him in disbelief.

"Right." Sasuke whispered, before he went back to eating. He had taken Hinata on a date here once, she had loved it.

He would get her back; all he had to do was get her alone. That was proving to be difficult; she seemed to cling to her teammates. To even dote on them, the way she did with him, had with him.

He would meet her tonight; he knew how to sneak into the Hyuuga compound. He had done it a million times before, in another time.

Chapter 13: A memory or a Dream.

Sasuke laughed as Hinata pouted, he had once again stolen another piece of cooked meat from her plate.

"You're mean." She told him as he laughed.

"I'm sorry, but you look so happy once it's done." He told her, glad that she had accepted his offer on this date. She didn't have too, but she did not feel like hanging out with her teammates.

He placed some more food on her plate, his hand laced with hers under the table, he was happiest with her.

"How's Itachi treating you?" Sasuke asked her.

"He's always on time and when he is upset with us he doesn't stick his fingers up our rears." Sasuke smiled at Hinata's teasing.

"He only does that to Naruto." Sasuke informed her.

"All Itachi does is force us to cross rapids." Hinata informed him.

"Sounds like fun." Sasuke teased.

"Well seeing Shino fall and nearly get send down stream was a little amusing." Hinata admitted he didn't blame her; Shino had a habit of reminded Hinata her exact status on the team.

"I would smile too, so Itachi saved him." Sasuke asked her.

Hinata nodded, taking a sip of her tea. He smiled at her, she smiled back. He had never been happier.


	14. One Night Part I

Chapter 14: One Night

He stood there, staring at her as she slept on her mat, taking the differences in. She slept soundly; he felt guilt for wanting to wake her up. To disturb her peace, silently he walked over to her and kneeled beside her.

"Do you remember me?" he asked her softly, quietly as she slept. He ran a finger along the side of face, taking the same path her tears usually took. "I remember." He told her.

"I'll remember for the both of us." He whispered she moved slightly, he knew she was listening to him now, in her sleep he could reach her. "You and me, we promised." Stopping the train at the curve of her chin, he smiled at her.

"I will protect you this time." He told her, leaning in he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He would of lingered but he did not trust himself yet, the memories where there, in the back of his head begging to be released. Instead he left, unaware of the eyes that in this time watched him too.

Hinata rolled onto her back, opening her eyes as the light streamed in. She was alone in her room, but there was the feeling that she hadn't been. In the back of her head, she knew he had been there. Talking to her, she hugged herself. She was supposed to remember something she knew it, he remembered something.

Sasuke slept in, he knew Kakashi would be late, he always was. So he lingered in the comfort of his bed, even if it was empty. He had dreamt again of her, it had been a strange dream one that was in flashes but the flashes were strongest with her.

He stared at the picture on the bedside table, it was the same in the other time too. He never changed, the world never changed, people merely changed it for them. That was something that Hinata would say, she would give him an almost annoyed look, her annoyance at something other then him.

"che." He sighed rolling over on his back. "Who changes the world?" He asked, no one but his head answered, with her voice, her amused voice.

"Sasuke of course who else." She laughed, he frowned and sat up. He was alone in his room, "che."

He might as well get up, Kakashi wouldn't be any later. He walked over to the bathroom and stopped staring at his reflection the seal flickered again, it always did affect him in the morning. If it had been another time, he would have asked Hinata to remove it but he highly doubted her skill in this time.

She could learn he reminded himself, she had given Naruto that ointment. He remembered because Naruto had offered him some, claiming it did wonders. Sasuke had merely waved it off, dismissing the idea. He frowned, now he could not dismiss her. He glared at his reflection and slammed the bathroom door shut, the sound echoing in the empty house.

Kiba was getting worried, so was Shino as Hinata jumped again, she was paranoid today.

"You sure you're not on something? Did someone slip something in your drink?" Kiba asked Hinata again as she shook her head again. "Are you sure?" Kiba asked her, Shino and Kiba shared a look as Hinata nodded.

"Then what is it!" Kiba asked or more so demanded.

"Nothing." Hinata answered taking a step back, in fright or whatever that was all Kiba and Shino could take, Hinata had nothing to fear with them or from them. It was the rest of the world but to step back and look so scared at them, her teammates. It made them snap.

"What the hell is going on with you?!" Kiba demanded grabbing her by the shoulders to still her. Shino moved closer.

"Kiba is correct, you are acting different." Shino replied finally speaking. Hinata stared at them, from the look of it she was close to tears, the boys hardened their determination in case she did. They hated to see her cry, it made them feel powerless. That was a feeling both boys were loath too.

"There is nothing wrong." Hinata choked out, frustrated at her own inability to tell them the truth.

"Bull!" Kiba shouted, annoyed that Hinata would lie to them.

"Kiba is correct, stop lying, what is troubling you." Shino demanded an annoyed tone evident in his voice.

Sasuke was wrong with her that was what she wanted to scream, but she didn't instead the word "nothing!" escaped loudly from her followed by her first sob, then a second and third till she was crying. Kiba's hands tightened on her small shoulders, as he pulled her into an awkward embrace of comfort, he looked at Shino both irritated at whatever was affecting their teammate.

Kurenai was irritated; something had to be done about Hinata's inability to perform around Naruto. Sure the girl was madly in love with him but enough was enough. That was Kurenai's thought as she hunted down Kakashi, she would need Naruto to tell Hinata that there was no possibility, once he did the girl could begin living again instead of living in some dream where she stood a chance. It was cruel but so was the life of a ninja, and it was time Hinata awoke to it.

Sakura and Naruto stood there wondering where Sasuke was, today of all days Kakashi had been on time, apparently he caught wind that an irate Kurenai was searching for him.

"Should we go get him?" Naruto asked Kakashi. Who was looking in every direction but theirs. Kakashi was about to tell them not to bother when he spotted his lost student making his way towards them with an angry Kurenai chatting to Sasuke.

Kakashi sighed, so much for his plan to runaway and remain hidden till whatever was bothering Kurenai vanished on a mission.

"I see you found my lost student!" Kakashi greeted Kurenai.

"I need a word." Kurenai greeted back.

"What is this about?" Sasuke asked, while the wheels in his head where spinning. Both instructors looked at Sasuke curiously, one noticing the sudden curiosity Sasuke had towards matters on team 8.

"Go stand with your teammates." Kakashi ordered. Sasuke frowned and did as he was told, going to stand with his teammates. He was going to have to learn to be more careful, Kakashi had a habit of discovering what Sasuke or any member of team 7 was up too, it was not an endearing quality.

"Have you calmed down?" Shino asked Hinata as her sobs subsided, she nodded. Kiba stepped back releasing her shoulders both boys stared at her expectantly.

"Well?" Kiba asked as Hinata went silent. She bit her bottom lip and looked down, she weighed the consequences in her brain silently, she opened her mouth to say something then decided against it, now she was becoming irritated. Was she not allowed to have her own problems, Kiba and Shino were fine being secretive with her on their own emotions, but all be damned if she felt something that they could not identify with. So Hinata decided to change the subject.

"Where are Kurenai and Akamaru?" Hinata asked, praying that they fell for the bait.


	15. One Night Part II

Chapter 15: One Night Part II

Akamaru was on a mission, to follow Kurenai and discover what the hell was going on. Since Kiba and Shino sure as hell didn't know or at least that was what Kiba claimed. Akamaru didn't mind, this was for Hinata whose smell was full of fear and anxiety now, like before when they had just met, but after awhile, she was usually calm, and that was the smell that Akamaru preferred.

When she was terrified Kiba acted different he was wilder, it affected the bugs too, there was something with her scent. She had a strong scent, which was good it made her easier to find, and Akamaru was good at finding things that were special.

Kiba and Shino looked at Hinata. Honestly thinking to their selves why she believed they would take the bait because they were not going to take the bait.

"Hinata, please don't insult us." Kiba answered, Hinata nodded and looked down at the ground. She had two pissed off teammates now, but that had her thinking. Where were Kurenai and Akamaru?

Neji was a little upset and worried, he had been practicing again with his Byakugan when he noticed someone in Hinata's room as Neji walked cautiously towards his cousins room to kill the offending he had stopped in mid step when the offending was realized to be Sasuke, who then proceeded to kiss his cousin, almost intimately on the forehead before leaving.

Neji entered his cousin's room, he looked at her and then glanced around, she was fine no damage had been done, so he left. Determined to speak with Sasuke, and resolve whatever matter had just been witnessed there was only problem, finding Sasuke was going to prove to be quite the task.

Neji was determined to keep a more watchful eye on his cousin. That was why he interrupted the ever so interesting interrogation Hinata was being put through.

"It's hard not to insult you Inuzuka." Neji said coldly as he stood beside his cousin, giving her the same cold look, "you are needed at home Hinata." He informed her, Hinata nodded, he didn't miss the fact that she actually moved closer to her teammates as she did so.

He was annoyed enough already, he had not seen the Uchiha on his walk all the way over here.

"Is something wrong, Neji-Nissan?" Hinata asked softly, noting that he was glancing around his Byakugan activated, he looked at her and merely turned to leave expecting her to follow and she did quickly, glad to be given an escape from her teammates prying.

"Is there something between you and the Uchiha?" Neji asked, Hinata shook her head a little too quickly, he was surprised that she had not dislocated her neck. "Then why was he was in your room last night…" Neji's voice trailed off at the murderous intent that rolled off two individuals that had followed in Neji's blind spot.

"What do you mean he was in her room?" Kiba growled. Both him and Shino putting together a scenario in their minds that involved their teammate being forced to do things, which were entirely inappropriate.

Hinata paled and looked at her cousin and her teammates, the urge to run was there and it was strong.

"_I wanted to run away, but I couldn't, I didn't even though they hated me and thought so little of me I stayed and did as I was told, even when all I wanted to do was run away."_

Sasuke turned, looking in the direction that Naruto and Kurenai where walking in. As they walked Sasuke was caught off guard by Kakashi.

"You were at the Hyuuga compound." Kakashi whispered loud enough for only Sasuke to hear, Sasuke frowned he was being followed, the seal acted up with his annoyance.

"My business is my own." Sasuke whispered back, glaring at Kakashi for prying, for knowing.

"Who were you meeting with?" Kakashi asked, Sasuke only glared and walked away. Kakashi watched his student leave, Sakura following him. There was something very wrong here.

Neji caught his cousin as she collapsed her teammates rushing to her aid. "Hinata!" Kiba yelled taking her from Neji and shaking her, that seemed to do the trick. Neji watched in horror as Hinata opened her eyes, Kiba ceased his shaking and smiled.

"Good you're awake! Now tell us what the hell is going on." Kiba demanded.

Hinata said nothing; she did nothing, only stared at something over Kiba's shoulder. She finally spoke and Kiba released her, she fell promptly on her rear. Still staring, Kiba turned and frowned.

There walking towards them was Akamaru, Kurenai and as Hinata had whispered just seconds ago, Naruto-kun.


	16. if you knew me

Chapter 16: If you knew me.

"What the hell just happened?" Kiba asked Hinata as she applied some ointment on his arm. Hinata said nothing she really didn't know what had happened so she looked at Shino who was standing over them.

"The Uchiha collapsed." Shino answered Kiba.

"What the hell did he want?" Kiba asked Hinata.

"Hold still." Hinata told Kiba.

"Sasuke was bothering you and you did not tell us Hinata." Shino told Hinata.

"I thought I could handle it." Hinata whispered.

"You don't have to handle it, we are a team remember!" Kiba said loudly as Hinata frowned at him.

"Hold still I'm almost done." Hinata tells Kiba as she applies the last of the ointment on his numerous bruises. "There." Hinata tells Kiba softly.

"Thanks." Kiba tells her as he stands looking at Shino. "What do we do about this?" Kiba asks Shino.

"Hinata tells us why Sasuke was in your room." Shino tells her softly.

"I don't know. He's been following me around lately." Hinata whispers as she stares at the empty bottle of ointment beside her.

"How long?" Kiba asks this time, his eye twitching.

"Three days." Hinata answers even softer knowing that her teammates are upset with her.

"Three days!" Kiba yells, even Shino is surprised. "And you didn't tell us!"

"I thought I could handle it." Hinata says a little louder this time.

"But you can't! This proves it! Sasuke attacked us and then he said something to you what did he say?" Kiba nearly growls out as Hinata winces.

"You and me, we promised." Sasuke whispered against her ear as his seal acted up. She placed her hands on his shoulders and closed her eyes. "Don't you remember?" He asked her softly apparently her touch affecting him as the seal began to retreat. Hinata said nothing as he collapsed in her arms.

"I don't remember." Hinata whispered softly, lying to her teammates. They knew it too, that was what hurt the most.

Sasuke slept in the hospital bed that had been assigned to him, Sakura and Naruto sat there watching him unknowing that he dreamt.

"What do you think happened?" Sakura asked Naruto.

"I don't know, once he wakes up we'll ask him." Naruto told.

Sakura nodded and stared at their sleeping teammate. she was worried for him all she knew was that he had beaten Kiba, Shino and Neji all without breaking a sweat only to collapse in Hinata's arms.

"What are you thinking?" Sasuke asked Hinata as she bandaged his arm.

"That you need to work on your defense." Hinata teased.

"No honestly." Sasuke told her as she smiled.

"I'm thinking that you look cute sitting there on my bed." Hinata answered as she finished. Sasuke smiled at her and laughed.

"Right." Sasuke replied as he laid down on her bed. "your bed is softer than mine."

"I think there the same." Hinata answered him as she went back to her desk.

"why was Neji here earlier today?" Sasuke asked absently.

"He returned from a mission and missed me, so he came to see me." Hinata answered as she returned to some scrolls on her desk, Sasuke frowned and stared at the celing.

"you aren't going to leave are you?" Sasuke asked.

"at the moment no, I'm not leaving, why?" She inquired, turning to look at him.

"I had a dream last night; I dreamt that you were gone." Sasuke told her.

"oh." Hinata whispered. "I'm here now." She told him.

He sat up and looked at her, frowning. "You're trying to make me feel better and it's not working." Sasuke told her, she smiled and turned away giggling behind her hand.

"Hinata." Sasuke whispered. Sakura winced; Naruto looked at Sasuke and frowned.

"I'll go find Hinata; do you want to stay here?" Naruto asked Sakura. She nodded, Sasuke was asking for Hinata, he was their teammate even if it hurt and it did, she would do all she could for him. So she would wait with him till Hinata arrived. Naruto placed his hand on her shoulder and left.

"Naruto is going to get Hinata." Sakura told Sasuke, apparently he heard her.

"Hinata." He whispered again before falling silent.

"She's on her way." Sakura told him as she held his hand.

Kiba had the urge to growl and shake Hinata till some sense rolled back into her head, but he refrained from the shaking part and merely growled at her. Hinata sat there staring at the ground, Shino was irritated and if he could she knew that he would be growling too.

"You are lying to us." Shino told her, Hinata nodded and spoke.

"He was talking about a promise, I don't remember any promise." Hinata answered.

"Sasuke's gone fucking insane!" Kiba growled pacing now as Akamaru sat beside Hinata and whined. Hinata petted Akamaru and smiled softly.

Kiba turned as did Shino once Naruto reached them. "What do you want?" Kiba asked roughly.

"I need to take Hinata to Sasuke, he's asking for her." Naruto told Kiba hurriedly.

"Like hell." Kiba growled.

"Hinata will not go alone." Shino told Naruto. "We will go with her."

"That's fine." Naruto told Shino. Slightly worried about having Kiba and Shino in the same room as Sasuke. Kiba looked at Shino, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Hinata was also looking at Shino, like Kiba wondering what was going on.

"Shino-kun?" Hinata asked.

"We shall get to the bottom of this." Shino informed Hinata as Kiba helped her up, Akamaru in her arms.

Neji sat there with her his head on her shoulder. She was still; too still, that was how Neji knew that Sasuke was watching. Neji would have smirked, only he decided against it, this time it was Sasuke's turn to watch. To know how it felt to have the one thing you ever wanted to belong to someone else.

Sasuke was indeed watching as Neji began to kiss and caress Hinata. She had her eyes closed; he knew that she was trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall down her pale cheeks. His hands clenched into fists, as a soft gasp escaped Hinata's lips.

"Is he tired of watching?" Neji asked Hinata.

"stop." Hinata whispered. "We'll do this at home not here please." She pleaded. Her hands on his shoulder, Neji stared at his cousin face.

"Fine." Neji told her, letting her slip away from him; she adjusted her clothing glad that she was no longer pinned against the tree and her cousin. "Once we get home we continue this." Neji told her, she nodded in agreement. Not daring to look in the direction that Sasuke was in; ever since she had wed he had been following her. She was under enough pressure with Neji always having her trailed. She had promised him her loyalty, and it hurt to deny herself the one she loved but she would.

"You been asking for me." The timid voice woke Sasuke, he was staring at Hinata a very flustered Hinata, who was alone with him in the room. "I'm here now." Sasuke stared at her and smiled.

Sitting up Sasuke kept his eye contact with her. "You're alone?" Sasuke asked. Hinata shook her head. Looking in the direction of the door, she smiled softly.

"Shino and Kiba are outside." She told Sasuke.

"Oh." Hinata looked back at Sasuke; both knew that the two members of team 8 were listening intently to the conversation. "Are you close to them?" Sasuke asked her.

"My teammates?" Sasuke nodded as Hinata stared at him this was not what she had been expecting. "We are, aren't you close to your teammates?"

"I wanted to ask you if you remember." Sasuke told her, changing the subject.

"Remember what?" Hinata asked softly.

"You and me." Sasuke told her watching her expression carefully.

"You said that earlier, before you collapsed." Hinata told him frowning.

"Well, answer the question." Hinata stared at Sasuke.

"I promised I would stay, but I can't Neji needs me at home." Hinata told Sasuke.

Sasuke stared at her before he smirked. "You can sit for awhile can't you?" She nodded and sat on the chair that had been left for her. "Talk to me."

"About what?" Hinata asked.

"Anything." Sasuke told her slightly annoyed that she didn't remember. He was irritated and it obviously showed. Hinata stared at him for awhile.

"I'm sorry." Hinata whispered softly as she placed her bag on the floor. Sasuke stared at her she was depressed and he didn't know why.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked her. Hinata stared at him and smiled.

"Everything." She whispered as she walked over to him wrapping her arms around his waist. "Everything is wrong; I just want you to talk to me." Hinata whispered.

"What should I talk about?" Sasuke asked her as he smoothed her hair.

"Anything." She told him.

"The mission was a short one, just me and Naruto. Sakura stayed back with Kakashi as we went to search for that damn cat. "Hinata smiled slightly, she knew that cat, Shino's bugs had almost eaten it. "It scratched up Naruto's face really bad, I know I shouldn't have but I laughed. The cat got away and we failed the mission." Sasuke finished, noticing that Hinata was smiling at him.

"That sounds better then my mission." Hinata told him, sighing.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked her.

"Itachi and Shino." Hinata answered sighing.

"Oh." Sasuke answered her. "That doesn't sound like fun."

"It wasn't." Hinata answered. "all day long it was bickering and bickering till finally Kiba decided he was tired of being ignored and Shino was upset that Kiba was even talking to him, least of all questioning him." Hinata sighed and walked over to her bag.

"Where is Itachi?" Sasuke asked. Hinata was silent as if she was choosing her words carefully.

"He is speaking to the Hokeage about a month long mission." Hinata answered.

"Month long mission?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata nodded. "A training trip for team 8, to promote team bonding."

"Team Bonding?" Sasuke said dumbly.

"There is nothing to talk about." Hinata answered him softly. Sasuke stared at her then looked away. Hinata watched him then she stood walking over to him, he didn't look at her, even as she sat there on the bed beside him.

"You and me, together." Hinata whispered.

"Always." Sasuke told her as they both stared at the stars.

"Promise." Hinata pleaded, Sasuke looked at her she was staring at the sky there was a frantic tone in her voice.

"It's to quiet. I say we go in and see what's going on." Kiba told Shino.

"We give them 4 more minutes then retrieve her." Shino told Kiba who glared at the clock.

"Right 4 more minutes." Kiba whispered his ear pressed against the door.

After 4 minutes Shino opened the door to the room, to find it empty the window open and the curtains blowing in the breeze. "Hinata!" Kiba yelled.


	17. Hide and Seek

Chapter 17: Hide and Seek

It was a game, like when they where children. Hide and Seek. Both clinging to each others hand as they ran, deeper and deeper into the woods. Sasuke looked around the area, they had a certain amount of time until people noticed that they where gone.

"I need to stop." Hinata whispered. Sasuke looked at her.

"Just awhile longer." Sasuke begged her.

"I need to stop." She repeated on hand going to her face. As she once again tried to stop the bleeding. "I can't see." Hinata told him.

Sasuke frowned as he moved closer to her. "We have to keep moving if they catch us." Sasuke stopped and stared at her, blood fell like tears down her cheeks. "Please trust me."

"It's all Shino's fault!" Kiba yelled loudly as he pointed at his silent teammate. "He said to wait and we did, now Hinata is gone!"

"Shino is not to blame." Kurenai reminded Kiba as they went in search of Hinata.

"We shouldn't have left her alone!" Kiba hissed loudly, glaring at Shino.

"We will find her." Shino said softly. "And she will be safe."

Sasuke said nothing as he ran; he needed to put as much distance as he could between them. Shino and Kiba would be the first to search for them, he smirked. He had the advantage of knowing them, which was why he was staying downwind; he needed to put distance between them. And he would put the distance between them. He had done this before, taken her away from everything.

"I do trust you." Hinata had whispered softly.

"Then let's keep moving." Sasuke told her, whipping the blood off her face.

"I can't see." Hinata whispered sadly.

"I know." Sasuke told her. "So let's keep moving." Hinata nodded her hand in his.

"I can't smell him, neither can Akamaru. We can't smell her." Kiba said thru clenched teeth.

Shino started at Kiba and then at Kurenai. "What do you mean?" Kurenai asked frantically.

"I can't smell her; the bastard knows how to hide their scent." Kiba hissed.

"Then we must try another method." Shino answered.

"Like what waiting or leaving her alone with some psychotic Uchiha!" Kiba asked rudely.

"No." Shino held out his hand, a small bug crawled out from under the skin of his palm. "We use the male bug to find the female bug I placed on her jacket." Shino answered.

"We'll find her." Kurenai told Shino and Kiba. Kiba frowned and nodded. Sasuke would be sorry that he tried to take her.

"What do you mean Sasuke is gone!" Naruto screamed at Kakashi.

"Sasuke-kun is missing?" Sakura asked.

"We will find him." Kakashi assured his students.

Sakura placed a hand over her heart, Sasuke was leaving, and he was leaving her. "Sasuke-kun, why." Sakura whispered. "I would have done anything for you."

"We'll find him Sakura-Chan." Naruto told Sakura as he tried to comfort her.

Shino came to a halt as he the male bug stopped. Kiba stared at the sight before him there was Hinata's jacket on the floor, a dead female bug on the sleeve. Kurenai stared at her two students then at the note pined to the tree. We got her eyes. That was all it said, it was all it needed to say.

Sasuke placed Hinata down, he had bought them sometime. Sasuke sat down and stared at the sleeping person next to him. He smiled; Hinata would have been laughing if she knew he had used the same technique she had used on Kiba when he was too wild. She was paralyzed, for another 30 minutes. So he had 30 minutes to rest before Hinata was able to move again.

"You're going to have to trust me on this one." Sasuke told her softly, knowing she could hear him. "It's best for the both of us." Sasuke said as he smoothed out her hair. He smiled as she twitched, she did have some medical knowledge. He had less then 30 minutes. "Trust me Hinata."

After a few minutes Hinata was able to open her eyes. She was staring at Sasuke as he touched her hair, he acted as if he had the right too. She wanted to scream at him to leave her alone, to scream for her teammates. She was afraid of Sasuke, he knew about the bug. No one not even Kiba knew about the female bugs Shino placed on them. Sasuke was smiling at her. They sat there for awhile till Hinata was able to open her mouth.

"Kiba-kun, Shino-kun." She whispered.

"Relax, Hinata, you're getting movement back, you're going to have to relax." Sasuke told her soothingly. "You're going to have to trust me."

"I don't." Hinata told him honestly. Sasuke only smiled at her, before he leaned in and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"They won't come after us for awhile. They think your dead, or they will once they come across the body I left for them. You should be proud you taught me that move." Sasuke told her as she stared at him.

"Kiba-kun and Shino-kun will come across your body, and they won't be able to tell the difference. Kiba will scream and cry as he holds you, Shino will do nothing he will just watch, sure both will be upset but soon you'll be nothing more than a memory to them, the teammate they couldn't save. The one who will haunt them forever, eyes destroyed blood falling like tears, their fallen angel. They'll hunt for me but they'll never find us, I know them, as well as I know you." Hinata stared at him. Sasuke smile wavered, as if he was remembering something.

"Why." Hinata whispered.

"Because I won't lose you this time, this time I'll protect you." Sasuke told her.

"From what?" Hinata asked.

"The tails and Akatsuki." Sasuke told her.

Kiba and Shino ran they had never run this fast in their entire lives. Akamaru had caught the scent, blood, Hinata's blood. They ran to the clearing where Akamaru howled, there laid Hinata, her eyes had been destroyed; there was a wound on her stomach, a deep one. Kiba walked over to her, before he kneeled beside her. Gathering her up in his arms he screamed, Shino stood there before his own knees gave out as he stared at her. Blood slid down her face like tears, tears like the one Shino was feeling slip down his own.

"Not again." Kiba whispered in her hair. "You can't die like this again Hinata." Kiba closed his eyes and as he cried. "I thought we'd have a second chance."

Sasuke looked up, and then at Hinata he had heard that scream.

"Kiba-kun." Hinata whispered.

"See, I told you." Sasuke reminded her. He stood, gathering her in his arms. "Let's go."


	18. The Girl That Loved Uzumaki Naruto

Chapter 18: The Girl That Loved Uzumaki Naruto.

"She's dead." Kiba whispered as his mother placed her hand on his shoulder. Tsume didn't know what to tell her son, she had expected him to be broken up but not like this. This was more then a teammate losing another teammate, this was how Tsume reacted when she received the news that her husband was dead.

Kiba sat their quietly at the table not touching his food just staring. "She's dead." Kiba repeated. "I could have stopped it but I didn't." Kiba looked at his mother; there was a strange expression in his eye. "Does she hate me now?" Kiba asked his mother.

Tsume shook her head as she attempted to console her son. "No, Hinata would never hate you." Tsume told him. Kiba looked at his plate.

"I failed again." Kiba whinnied as he walked Hinata home.

"You didn't fail, Shino is just, well Shino." Hinata told him.

"That doesn't make me feel better; I mean come on how did Shino get so strong, I'm telling you Shino is not human!" Kiba told Hinata, she sighed and shook her head.

"No he just spends every waking hour training." Hinata reminded Kiba.

"So he has no life. That makes me feel a little bit better." Kiba told her as he placed an arm around her shoulder. "What about you? want a life, instead of studying those boring medical scrolls?"

"There not boring, and I do have a life." Hinata scolded.

"Right, oh Sasuke-kun." Kiba teased. Hinata pinched his side. "Ow!" Kiba laughed.

"You're mean Kiba-kun." Hinata pouted.

"Aw, let me give you a hug." Hinata giggled as Kiba hugged her and Akamaru barked at them to hurry up, it was getting cold. "I gotta go, are you sure you don't me to wait with you for Sasuke?" Kiba asked her as he hugged her.

"No, I'll be fine." Hinata told him, once he had released her. "I'll see you tomorrow Kiba-kun."

"You don't have to go to her funeral." Tsume told Kiba soothingly. Kiba shook his head; he had to go to tell her goodbye, to tell what he hadn't been able to tell her that other time.

"You're different." Kiba whispered to Hinata as stood on the tree branch, watching Shino and Itachi as they trained.

"We are all different." Hinata replied not taking her eyes off Shino and Itachi.

"You know what I mean ever since the mission Itachi takes you on got longer." Kiba paused annoyed that Hinata was not taking him seriously. "Has he touched you?" Kiba asked.

Hinata turned and stared at Kiba. "no." she answered. Frowning at Kiba and his prying. "I'm just older I can't stay 12 forever, I'm 16 now Kiba. Even you have changed."

"Not as much as you." Kiba answered her.

"Really?" Hinata asked him as she placed her finger on his nose.

"Yes really!" Kiba told her as he placed his hand on hers. "You're becoming like Itachi, you think your not but you are, soon you'll be as inhuman as Shino then it's on to Itachi's level."

"You worry too much Kiba-kun." Hinata sighed as she looked back at Shino and Itachi. Kiba stared at her and kept hold of hand, he wanted to press the issue but she didn't. He stared at her and sighed, he wait till she was ready to talk.

"I know losing a teammate is hard but you have to carry on." Shino told Kiba as they sat there beside Hinata's body, waiting for Kurenai to catch up.

"Shut up Shino." Kiba hissed as he stroked Hinata's face, whipping the blood of her face.

"Hinata will be avenged Kiba, we can ask the Hokeage to allow us to go after Sasuke." Shino informed Kiba as he sat there against the tree, watching as Kiba attempted to clean up her face. "I'm sorry Kiba; I did not know that you and she were close."

"We could have been." Kiba whispered as he stared at Hinata.

Tsume sighed and looked at Kiba. "You need to eat something Kiba." Kiba blinked and stared at his mother. He had drifted off slightly. Kiba nodded and poked at his food. He sat there for awhile before he stopped.

"Kiba?" Tsume asked, as Kiba's expression changed to one of realization.

"What is this?" Kiba asked as Hinata smirked her hands on her hips. He was staring at himself, or as Hinata had stated the perfect clone.

"Ask Akamaru to sniff him. Even he won't be able to tell the difference." Kiba looked at Hinata then at Akamaru who walked unsure over to the clone.

"When did you learn this?" Kiba asked as Akamaru sniffed the clone.

"Some medical scrolls that Itachi had me memorize, he can do everything you can, and he won't disappear until I let him." Hinata stated proudly.

"You know this could be rather kinky." Kiba told Hinata as he winked at her. Hinata just sighed and looked away from him. "Come on Hinata, I bet I can teach you some stuff that even Sasuke hasn't thought of."

Hinata preformed some hand signals and the clone just disappeared. "I've been practicing this with Sasuke; I thought I would show you but if you're going to be mean." Hinata let her voice trail off as Kiba laughed.

"So Sasuke knows this technique too." Kiba said between giggles trying to image Sasuke reaction to some of Hinata's technique.

"You're mean to Sasuke." Hinata whispered, as she crossed her arms and pouted.

"I'm not he's just a sissy." Kiba said in his defense as he placed a hand on the top of her head. "It's true. My innocent little teammate is in love with a sissy, oh the shame."

"Sasuke knew all her techniques." Kiba whispered as he stood and rushed out of the room.

Hinata sat there the feeling would be coming back to her legs soon. All she had to do was wait. Sasuke was resting against the wall, they where in some abandoned shrine.

"Tell me about your mother." Sasuke asked her.

"She died when I was born." Hinata answered, her hands rubbing her legs, hoping to bring back circulation.

"Did your father tell you that?" Sasuke asked opening one eye to look at her. Hinata nodded. "Tell me about Neji are you two close?" Hinata shook her head no. Sasuke smiled faintly, he didn't have to worry about Neji interrupting him.

"Kiba-kun and Shino-kun will find me." Hinata reminded Sasuke.

"Shino-kun?" Sasuke asked. Hinata stared at him. "Since when did you become so close to Shino?"

"What do you mean?" Hinata whispered.

"I thought he hated you." Sasuke informed her.

"Shino-kun doesn't hate me; he's helping me with my training." Hinata stated.

"I see." Sasuke said frowning, apparently there was more than Itachi that changed in this time, Shino didn't hate Hinata. Sasuke closed his eyes again and concentrated on relaxing, the clone was taking more charka then he had remembered.

"Naruto-kun will come after you." Hinata whispered.

"Naruto-kun?" Sasuke asked noticing the blush. He blinked and stared at her in amazement and horror. She liked Naruto, Sasuke didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Here he was risking everything and she loved another. Sasuke for the first in his life understood what Neji might have felt.

"How long am I going to be like this?" Kiba asked now able to speak.

"30 minutes at max." Hinata answered as she sat there beside him staring at the fire.

"Why am I like this?" Kiba asked her.

"You went wild, and snapped." Hinata answered as she rubbed her legs, she was tired and he knew it.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" Kiba asked. Hinata shook her head lying to make him feel better, he had hurt her, her left arms and ribs had been broken, she barely had enough time to heal herself, his new attack could take her out.

"No Kiba-kun you didn't." Hinata whispered finally looking at him and smiling.

"Are you going to stay with me?" Kiba asked her, she nodded lying down beside him her head on his shoulder.

"Everything is going to be alright, Kiba-kun I promise." She told him softly.

"I know, I thought they had killed you." Kiba whispered whishing he could move.

"Rest Kiba-kun, you used up a lot of your charka." She told him as she closed her eyes.

"So did you." He reminded her, noticing that she was tired.

"Akamaru is watching us, we need to rest." She whispered.

"I can smell the blood on your jacket, I hurt you." Kiba whispered feeling a strange sinking in his stomach. She didn't answer, he could hear her breathing feel her heart beat against his arm, he had hurt her. "I'm sorry." Kiba whispered awkwardly.

"We'll rest here for awhile, then keep on moving." Sasuke told Hinata, as she continued to rub her legs. "We will be heading to the sound, we'll be safe there." Hinata looked at him.

"The sound?" she repeated. Sasuke nodded. Hinata stared at him; once the feeling in her legs came back she was going to make a run for it.

Shino stared dumbly at Kiba. "Repeat that?" Shino asked Kiba.

"Hinata isn't dead!" Kiba shouted.

"You are in denial." Shino stately calmly, worried about his teammate's sanity.

"No I'm not Hinata once told me about a jitsu that could create a perfect clone. Think about it, Sasuke wanted us off his trail, what better way then with a dead clone!" Kiba was getting worked up. "Trust me on this."

She was given a choice. He had given it to her. He had asked her to stay, no he had begged her to stay, he even hugged her. Knowing that he loved her, their relationship had always been an almost could have been.

"Stay." Kiba whispered against her hair. "Stay in the leaf with me." Kiba begged. He held on to her a little tighter. She shook her head he could feel her shaking and he knew that she was crying.

"I want to be with him Kiba-kun. That's all I want." she whispered against his jacket between soft sobs. Kiba closed his eyes, before he kissed the top of her head.

"I know, but you're married now. You promised to be loyal to Neji." Kiba whispered. She looked up at him, he felt his breath catch in his throat, he wanted to slap himself, she looked so beautiful as she cried. He cupped her face in his hands using his thumbs to brush her tears away as he smiled at her.

"Don't cry Hinata." Kiba begged her. She smiled softly at him placing her hands on his wrists.

"I want to be with him." Hinata whispered. Kiba closed his eyes.

"I know." Kiba whispered.

"Then you know I have to go. You have to let me go." Hinata whispered.

"I can't let you go." Kiba whispered as he waited for Shino. "Not this time."


	19. Hate Me

Chapter 18 was a glimpse of Hinata and Kiba's friendship, Kiba remembered that Hinata showed him a clone technique. Sasuke realizes that Hinata likes Naruto and Kiba convinces Shino that Hinata is alive.

Chapter 19: Hate Me

Run don't look back, that was what the voice in Hinata's head screamed as she began to get the feeling back in her legs. Sasuke was either faking or he was asleep she didn't know. All she knew was that she was scared; she never had been in a situation like this before. Shino and Kiba had always been there, she could depend on them. She closed her eyes all she wanted to do was cry. She was close to crying. She rubbed her legs; she kept her eyes on Sasuke, moving her toes. She had to make a run for it.

She stood up then, Sasuke hadn't moved. Her legs where shaking but she still had to try, she was about to move when Sasuke stopped her by opening his mouth. "Your legs will give up on you before you take a second step." He stood up and walked over to her. "We should leave them." With that he grabbed her by the wrist and walked, dragging her with him, he was right by the second step her legs gave out. Sasuke smiled and looked at her; she was sitting on the floor. He smiled coldly at her.

She didn't look up at him, just sat there looking miserable. "I'll carry you." With that said Sasuke picked her up placing her on his back. Hinata said nothing; neither did Sasuke as he took off. Hinata closed her eyes, wondering where her teammates where she needed saving.

"I'm telling you she's alive." Kiba repeated to Shino again.

"If she is how do we find her?" Shino asked him.

"Sasuke will take her someplace that he feels is safe, someplace that the leaf will not touch." Shino nodded at Kiba's logic. Kiba racked his brain wondering exactly where Sasuke would go. "The sound." Kiba whispered. Remembering something that Hinata had told him once after the exams.

"_The sound placed the seal on him, I'll need you to be there just incase something happens to me, or him." _

"The sound?" Shino repeated.

Kiba nodded and stared at him. "The sound is where he'll take her."

"Are you sure Kiba?" Shino asked. Kiba nodded. "Then we will have to stop them before they get there."

"You can trust me, I won't hurt you." Sasuke told Hinata as he jumped from tree to tree. She said nothing in response. He smirked though knowing that she was probably thinking that he had paralyzed her. "I paralyzed you, but it was the only way to keep you from running. " Hinata said nothing she did nothing. "You can scream and yell at me if you want."

"I want to go home." Hinata whispered.

"We're going to start over someplace else." Sasuke told her.

Hinata kept her eyes closed he would have to stop soon and once he did she would be able to run, to flee. That was her plan; she was concentrating her charka into her legs. Her teammates would be coming after her and she would meet up with them.

"They think I'm dead don't they." Hinata whispered.

"Yes." He told her honestly.

"Why, that was cruel." She whispered sadly, he knew she was thinking about her teammates scream. "You where stalking me, and in my room." She told him, he smirked she was aware of him. Apparently very aware, this was a good thing, a very good thing.

"You're leaving the leaf?" Hinata asked Kiba softly as she sat on his bed with Akamaru beside her.

"Just for awhile." Kiba told her.

"It's because of the wedding isn't it?" Hinata stated watching his reaction.

"You do know I can make decisions that have nothing to do with you." Kiba told her throwing his old jacket at her. She caught it. "I'm going to train, become stronger, beat Shino and Itachi, and prove my alpha dog status."

"You mean heal that wounded ego." Hinata stated as she petted Akamaru.

"That too." Kiba stated as he packed the last of his clothing in his bag.

"I'll miss you." Hinata told him honestly. Kiba sighed and looked at her.

"I know, but you'll be too busy trying to keep your husband and Sasuke from killing each other. So the days will be going by like seconds." Kiba told her moving to the bed to sit beside her. "But I'll miss you too." With that Kiba placed his hands on hers; they sat there for awhile before Akamaru barked. Letting them know that Neji had arrived to collect Hinata.

"Looks like its time we both leave." Kiba told her softly.

Both walked down stairs, Neji nodded at Kiba. "You've come to see me off too?" Kiba asked Neji. Hinata smiled at Neji and nodded, Neji looked at Hinata then at Kiba.

"Apparently so." Neji told him.

Kiba stopped and sniffed the area the memories where coming on faster now. Shino stopped and looked around the area. They had passed the area that Hinata's dead clone had been found, Sasuke still had a head start but he would have to stop, the seal and Hinata would slow him down.

"They where here." Kiba stated, petting Akamaru who whined, also sad that Hinata was missing.

"How much of a distance do they have?" Shino asked Kiba.

"Almost a day." Kiba snapped.

"We will reach her before Sasuke reaches the sound Kiba." Shino stated hopping that would comfort his teammate. Kiba would be worthless if his emotions got the best of him. Kiba looked at Shino and sighed. He would be no good if his emotions took over.

"I know, but he's strong and she isn't." Kiba said softly.

"She is stronger then we believe." Shino stated. Kiba laughed softly.

"Yeah, she's strong." Kiba said disbelieving. Hinata was strong but not know, she still broke down and cried. She still was unable to kill. There was no Itachi to turn her, to make into his image. Kiba shook his head. "Just not as strong as Sasuke."

Shino frowned at Kiba. "I did not realize that you loved her." Kiba's ears picked up on the slight tone in the Shino's voice, his eyes widening, was that jealousy.

Sasuke stopped placing Hinata down. "We need to rest." Hinata stared at Sasuke, watching him once he turned his back on her she ran. God had smiled down on Hinata and given her speed, her cousin and sister where stronger but Hinata was just a little bit faster.

Sasuke turned once he heard her move; he turned to grab her arm only to miss by a second. He frowned and ran after her. Hinata ran. Chasing after her was Sasuke, crazy Sasuke.

"A game?" Sasuke asked as Hinata nodded.

"Tag." She told him as she tied the weights to her ankle.

"I chase you?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata shook her head. "No I chase you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Alright."

"I don't' feel like playing tag Hinata." Sasuke yelled as he chased her. Hinata only ran scared that Sasuke was considering her fear to be a game. Sasuke jumped tackling her, not noticing the rock that Hinata bashed her head on as he brought her down. Sasuke felt her still; he turned her over, noticing the blood on the rock and her head.

"Hinata?!" Sasuke screamed. She stirred slightly; he activated some seals with his hands. The green light emitted from his hands. The wound healed but she didn't open her eyes. He shook her, she was breathing but she wasn't waking up. "Wake up." He whispered to her.

Hinata opened up her eyes; Sasuke was looking down at her. "Who are you?" She whispered to him. Sasuke stared at her stricken that she didn't remember him.

"It's me Sasuke." He told her.

"Sasuke?" she asked as he helped her up. Sasuke nodded at her, he let her lean on him as they walked in the direction of the sound. His mind racing, Hinata didn't remember him.

"It's me, your boyfriend." Hinata stared at Sasuke. Then smiled at him, she believed him. His luck was looking up. "I'll tell you everything, but now we have to get to the sound." She nodded at him. "Do you trust me?" Sasuke asked her. Hinata nodded and smiled one of her special smiles at him.

"I trust you."

Kiba frowned; he did not want to think about Shino liking Hinata. That was something he couldn't process. Shino hated Hinata; she was everything an heir was not supposed to be. Sure they had started to get along after she turned 16, and had barely escaped the seal being placed on her forehead. Akamaru whined as a breeze passed by. Kiba sniffed the air, he could smell them.

"We're getting close!" Kiba yelled to Shino.

"We must be ready for anything; he could use her against us." Shino reminded Kiba.

"Once he crosses that waterfall, it's over." Kiba whispered.

Kiba nodded as they chased them, they where near the waterfall, he could smell the water. He looked down when Akamaru picked up the scent of dried blood.

"There was a struggle, Hinata's injured." Kiba told Akamaru who whined. Kiba turned and looked at Shino. "She's injured." Shino frowned, he did not like this. Kiba frowned, they where being followed, he sniffed the air again. Kakashi and Naruto where following them.

"I can't believe Sasuke ran away like that!" Naruto yelled to Kakashi as they followed the dog Kakashi had summoned. "What the hell was he thinking?!" Kakashi frowned he didn't know what Sasuke was thinking.

"Hello Sasuke-Kun, I see you brought a friend." Kabuto stated. Sasuke only stared at Kabuto, his hand still in Hinata's. "You must be Hinata-chan." Hinata stared at Kabuto then looked at Sasuke who shrugged.

"So good luck then." Hinata told Kiba as they stood there at the gate. Kiba smirked at her.

"I'll be back." He reminded her. Hinata sighed and smiled at him.

"I know. " She told him, both under the watchful eye of Neji. Kiba hugged his teammate, Hinata hugged him back.

"Goodbye Kiba-kun." She whispered against his jacket.

"Bye, Hinata." With that Kiba released her and took off running Akamaru following behind him.

"You will see him again." Neji told his wife as she watched him leave. Once she could no longer see him she turned and looked at Neji.

"Let's go home." She whispered.

Sasuke nodded, as they followed Kabuto. Hinata looked around the area, it was so dark and scary, she shivered. She never pictured that home could be so scary.

Kiba stopped, they had crossed the waterfall.

"I'm leaving." She told him.

"I know." he told her as they stood there, all he had to do was yell and everyone would come running. But he wouldn't, she smiled at him.

"Goodbye Kiba-kun." With that she ran to the shadowy figure that stood by the gates.


	20. The Thin Line Between Love and hate

Chapter 20: The Thin Line between Love and Hate

**Alternate Universe: 5 years after Hinata leaves the leaf to be with Sasuke**

Love can change into hate, which is the natural law of nature. Once love has become hate nothing can stop it. It becomes an inferno destroying everything in its path. That was the logic that Kiba was using as he stared at his teammate. For five years she had been gone, now she was back in the leaf sleeping on his couch. When she had returned he noticed the look defeated, Sasuke had broken her. He remembered hearing the knock on his apartment door, he had opened the door expecting someone else not her.

Hinata was standing there looking like a soaked puppy that had been kicked one too many times. "Hinata." Kiba asked letting her in, she did walk. Once she was in the door she hugged him. She clung to him.

"Kiba-kun." She whispered. He held her tightly to him. Burying his nose in her hair, seeing if her scent had changed from what he had remembered. She was to stay with him for three days, she slept for two and on the eve of the third day Neji called. That was when Kiba moved to her side, he had been afraid to move her. She was smaller then he remembered, and it terrified him.

"Hinata?" Kiba asked softly, as he shook her by the shoulder. She opened her eyes; he smiled at her as she sat up. "Neji called, he's on his way to pick you up."

"You where right Kiba-kun, I didn't want you to be." Hinata told Kiba sadly. She sat up and hugged him. He hugged her back. "I thought it was enough." She told him softly.

"It was. He just didn't want it." Kiba told her softly.

"I left him; I couldn't stay there with him anymore." Hinata sobbed. Kiba stroked her hair, hoping that it would comfort her. "He told me if I left him I was dead." Kiba closed his eyes.

"I won't let him hurt you." Kiba promised her.

"I know." She answered. He held her till the knock on the door was heard. Her grip tightened.

Kiba walked with her to the door, behind that door was her husband. Hinata looked up at Kiba as he was about to open the door. Her hand moving to his wrist, he looked at her.

"Stay." She told him. Kiba stared at her then placed his hand on hers. After that he opened the door. Neji was shocked to say the least when he noticed her. She smiled at him and embraced him not the way she had embraced Kiba, this was a timid embrace.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed against him, "I'm so sorry." Neji embraced her gently, keeping eye contact with Kiba. "I'm sorry."

Kiba watched them leave wondering what had happened to her. He walked over to the one thing she had left behind, a small bag. He knew he shouldn't have opened it but he had to. So he did, all he found was a change of clothes and a scrap piece of paper. Kiba smoothed the paper out reading the written words. It was a goodbye letter a rough draft for one. Kiba crumbled the piece of paper and frowned, it was a goodbye letter to Sasuke. The bastard threatened to kill her if she left him and finally she did leave him.

"Hinata, you idiot. I told you to stay away from him." Kiba hissed as he threw the paper back in the bag. The bastard had changed after Hinata married Neji. Sasuke had become a psycho stalker. Sasuke had snuck into the Hyuuga compound numerous occasions, mostly when Neji was on mission. Hinata had begged Sasuke to stop it, that they couldn't be together; Kiba had spoken with Sasuke telling him to back off. Sasuke hadn't taken too kindly to that. Believing that Kiba had taken his place as Hinata's lover, after a scene in the training field that escalated into a fight, Hinata had spoken to Sasuke apparently he had listened, and then Itachi was killed on a mission.

That was when Sasuke left the leaf, a few days after that Hinata had confided in Kiba after some drinks that Sasuke was taking his brothers place in the Akatsuki. Kiba wanted her to stay away from Sasuke; Hinata had only laughed and kissed him on the forehead. She was sure that Sasuke would never hurt her. only Kiba wasn't, and now that she was back in the leaf, Kiba was sure that Sasuke would come back for her, and maybe make good on his threat to kill her.

Sasuke stood there staring at the letter that Hinata had written him. He frowned and crumbled the letter in his fist before he placed it in his pocket. Hinata had left him, in his mind he believed that she had left him for the dog, the Inuzuka. In his mind he told himself he had to teach her a lesson, and one more chance.

**Present Day: Three years later**

Sasuke looked at the burning sound as Hinata stood beside him; resting her head on his chest as they both stared. "What happens now?" Hinata asked him softly. Sasuke placed his hand on her shoulder. "Where do we go?" he squeezed her shoulder for reassurance. She looked up at him. He didn't look at her only stared at the burning sound. She turned and looked at the burning sound. This had been her home where she was born. She closed her eyes, moving closer to Sasuke. He finally looked at her once she started to cling to him.

"We will be fine." Sasuke told her almost coldly. One hand now moving to brush against her hair, he smiled as she leaned into his touch.

"I know." She told him.

"Lets go, there is a place we can stay." Sasuke told her as he took his hand in hers.

"Where?" She asked him again. Sasuke looked at her; she grew silent realizing that he was in a mood. She had seen what happened when people upset him, even though he claimed to love her, and had never lifted a finger against her. She had a feeling that he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her.

"Are you afraid of me?" Sasuke asked her. Hinata shook her head no, Sasuke smiled at her, seeing that she seemed to relax as he did so. Hinata smiled back at him.

"Why would I be afraid of you?" she asked him. Sasuke stared at her for awhile, she smiled at him. Sasuke turned away quickly. He had to; she looked at him so trusting. He was worried; the destruction of the sound would bring attention.


	21. Follow the Nose

Chapter 21: Follow the Nose.

When someone begins to smell like blood it makes the original scent disappear, making it harder to find the person you are searching for. It was a lesson Kiba had learned during a training mission with his mother and sister. He had been unaffected by the body and the blood, the only thing that affected him was the smell; he couldn't smell anything but blood. It was a lesson he could not forget. It was a lesson that he would repeat. Hinata stood beside him as he stared at the bloody body, all he could smell was blood. Shino frowned as his bugs swarmed around the body.

"It's Itachi." Shino stated.

"I'm kind of happy that it is." Kiba told Hinata.

"I never thought anyone could kill him." Hinata told Kiba. "I never believed he could die." She said more to herself then anyone else. Kiba looked at her, squeezing her hand.

"He's mortal Hinata, no matter how much of a devil he seemed to be." Kiba whispered.

"I know." She replied.

"He's dead; we will have to report it." Shino told his teammates.

Kiba nodded and looked at Hinata, she was staring at Itachi. He knew she was terrified of Itachi and he also knew that seeing Itachi dead had to be a relief to Hinata. Kiba took her hand in his.

"Sasuke killed him." Hinata whispered not taking her eyes off Itachi.

"Sasuke?" Kiba questioned, even Shino was listening now.

Hinata nodded. "I told Itachi that Sasuke would kill him. I told him but he didn't believe me." She said softly, there was no trace of emotion in her voice; she might as well have been stating the weather.

"And now he is dead." Shino replied. Hinata nodded as Kiba stared at them, he didn't like Itachi, okay he hated Itachi but he expected some sort of reaction from Hinata at least. A tear, something, just not this, he didn't want her reacting like Shino would. Hinata looked at Kiba. She moved closer to him, hugging him more for his benefit than hers. It didn't work; it only made him feel worse.

**Present Time: one week after the sound has been destroyed. **

"The sound has been destroyed." Kiba repeated as he stared at Shino who nodded.

"The Hokeage had requested that we join Naruto and Sakura on this mission." Shino said calmly, Kiba nodded. "I suggest you prepare."

"Hinata, do you think she is alive?" Kiba asked Shino. Shino said nothing and left, he didn't want to think of the possibility that she wasn't alive. Kiba understood. He was holding on to the belief that she alive. Only there was one difference, Shino hadn't realized that Hinata would be 16 years old. That she had changed, if Sasuke had been with her then she would have changed. He just didn't know how much she would have changed.

Hinata was staring at the water, this village apparently knew Sasuke. He had helped with the bridge in some way. She had never been here but the name of the bridge, Naruto something it made her feel guilty. She didn't know why, she knew she should have told Sasuke but he had been happy lately and relaxed.

"You're up early." Sasuke said calmly behind her.

"It's beautiful here." Hinata told him.

"My first mission was here." Sasuke told her. "It was an interesting mission." Hinata smiled.

"So this place is special to you." Hinata told him sweetly.

"It is. I would hope that you would find this place special too." He told her. She looked at the bridge. Naruto, that name sounded familiar. "Is something wrong?"

"The name, Naruto, do I know a Naruto?" She asked him.

"He was my teammate, I have mentioned before." Sasuke told her. She nodded quickly; Sasuke was losing patience with her. He moved closer to her placing a hand on her hip.

"Did I have any teammates?" Hinata asked him. She closed her eyes trying to picture what her teammates would look like, she pictured to tall males, one was silent and the other was cocky.

"No. You where training to be a medic." Sasuke told her. She opened her eyes and nodded. Somehow that sounded wrong, she had teammates, she knew she did. Or maybe she was imagining them, trying to fill in the blanks of her memory.

Sasuke stared at her, she was staring to remember, not actual memories but feelings. He would have to make sure that Hinata remained far away from the leaf; he had killed Itachi before he wouldn't do it again. Sasuke already had what he wanted; all he had to do was keep her. "Lets go inside, I want to ask you something." Hinata looked at him. Sasuke smiled coldly at her. She was studying him trying to read him, she was good at that.

"I want to marry you." Sasuke told her softly.

**Alternate Universe**

"I am a married woman." Hinata whispered to herself as she sat in the darkness of her room. She turned as the figure moved in the darkness. "You need to move on." Hinata told him, more like ordered him. Sasuke walked over to her, kneeling beside her on the floor.

"We can run away and be together, have the life we always wanted." Sasuke told her as he embraced her, she tensed. "The life we would talk about."

"We found Itachi's body." Hinata stated. "I know you killed him."

"You knew I would, it's not surprising." Sasuke told her as he laid down taking her with him. Hinata closed her eyes; this was the bed that Neji slept on, her marriage bed. "I saw you with Kiba-kun." He taunted. "You two have always been so close. I bet he's itching to get closer isn't he."

"He's my teammate." Hinata told him simply. Sasuke laughed softly into her hair.

"And Neji is just your cousin." He whispered. "Yet we both know how that turned out."

"Everyone will know you killed him." Hinata told him as she stared at the wall.

"I'm leaving to join the Akatsuki and I want you to go with me." Sasuke told her.

"No." She told him simply. She had dealt with the Akatsuki enough, removed enough tails, she had lied to many times. She had a different life now, one that didn't involve the Akatsuki.

Sasuke released her and frowned. She sat up and watched him as he stood. He didn't say anything just left her there. She sat there in the silence and the darkness that was her new life. She wanted to say that she was sorry, that she loved him. Only she couldn't, maybe it was because she was trying to keep one promise in her life. She was to be faithful, she smiled sadly. Itachi had once told her that she was incapable of being faithful. She was a caged bird, and once they could no longer sing for their masters they had no purpose. She had one last purpose in life, and that was to make Neji happy.

It was a couple of minutes before the sun rose when Neji returned. Hinata was still sitting there. "Sasuke was here, he came to say goodbye." Hinata told him. Neji sat down beside her.

"He asked you to leave." Neji stated. Hinata nodded. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him no." She answered after a few seconds. Neji stared at her. He placed his hand on hers. She looked up at him. In the darkness she could see his eyes. She placed her head on his shoulder. "Let's go to bed." She whispered to him.

**Present time**

Kiba looked at the team that had been formed to search the sound for any signs of Hinata and Sasuke. Shino was silent, but that was expected. Sakura and Naruto where hopeful that Sasuke was fine and would return. The looked at Shino, he was the leader of the mission.

"We are searching for evidence." Shino reminded them, and himself. "It is unsure if Hinata and Sasuke are even alive. Don't get your hopes up." Shino stated. Kiba closed his eyes and smirked. Shino did have his hopes up; Kiba had spoken to Shino once on the second year that Hinata was gone.

"You like her don't you." Kiba asked Shino. Shino didn't respond only remained staring at the log that had been hers. "I'm surprised; I had thought you incapable of feeling." Kiba watched his teammate waiting for any sign. Shino gave none. They stood there at her log, before Kiba punched it. Shino jumped slightly and then frowned. Kiba blinked as Shino said his name.

"We are leaving." Shino repeated. Kiba nodded and followed. He was going to bring her back and kill Sasuke.

"Marry me?" Hinata repeated. Sasuke stared at her and nodded. Part of her wanted to say no, that she was in love with another who had blue eyes and a bright almost blinding smile. Another part wanted to say yes, because he had saved her, because he had risked so much for her. Sasuke was watching her, waiting for her answer. She smiled at him and nodded, hugging him. Sasuke stroked her hair.

"We can be married today." Sasuke told her. She closed her eyes. In her mind she was thinking of a boy with red markings on his face. He was smiling at her and laughing at something she didn't understand. Something that the other boy in the dark glasses had said, she opened her eyes and looked up at Sasuke.

He was smiling at her, one of the warm smiles that she had rarely seen. She smiled back at him, hoping that his smile would stay. Today she was getting married.


	22. We Grew Up

Chapter 22: We Grew Up

Everyone lies. There are no exceptions to that rule, you will lie. Your reason for lying will never seem to make sense once you're caught, but when that lie slips past your lips it doesn't matter. Because just for that small amount of time, someone has believed you, it doesn't matter what you said. When someone believes you, it gives you a power, one that no one should ever have.

That was the power that Sasuke had, and he was in love with it. Everything he said she believed. He was molding her in the image of the Hinata he lost, the memory of the girl he loved before Neji took her away, before the incident. He was finally where he wanted to be, living the life that should have been his.

Hinata stared at her husband wondering why part of her wanted to run away screaming, it was strange the day you marry is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, but it wasn't. She didn't know what to feel, and somehow that scared her. She smiled; almost giddy in the fact that she could hide her feelings. Sasuke was ecstatic as she said her vows and he said his.

"I want you to promise me something." Sasuke told her as he leaned in for the kiss.

"Anything." She responded, as she closed her eyes waiting for her first kiss from her husband.

"Promise you will be faithful to me." Sasuke whispered.

"I promise." She whispered back not wondering or caring about the consequences from such a promise. Sasuke closed his eyes and kissed her.

Shino was concerned about his teammate; there was something about Kiba that made Shino wary. They had never been the best of friends but they worked well together, now when Kiba looked at him there was an accusation in his eyes that didn't seem to make sense. It was more than the blame for Sasuke escaping with Hinata it was something else something deeper that Shino just didn't understand. When he attempted to question Kiba, there would be this look, as if Kiba expected him to know what was wrong. Only Shino didn't know. That seemed to infuriate Kiba even more.

"How long before we reach the sound?" Naruto asked.

"Three hours." Shino answered. Three long hours, Shino added to himself. He would look at Kiba from the corner of his eyes; there was this anticipation on Kiba's face as if he was expecting something.

"You think that Sasuke and Hinata are alright?" Sakura asked.

"Of course they are, Sasuke and Hinata probably escaped before anything bad happened." Naruto answered Sakura hoping that would cheer her up. It helped a little as she nodded, she would make sure that Sasuke came back. It had been three years that was long enough, he needed to come home.

**Alternate Universe**

Lies it was the one lesson he had learned very well, he had two of the best teachers to show him how to master the art of lying. Itachi taught him the fundaments and Hinata well she taught how to master it all. Even when he knew she was lying to him he believed her, maybe it was because he couldn't bring himself to doubt her. Or maybe it was because she knew just the right thing to say, the right movement to convince him. She had used her body to win him over, showed him that lies where more then just words, they could be touches. A lie could be the most beautiful thing in the world, and the deadliest.

She was so calm, so detached as she spoke. "I don't love you." The words slipped so easily from her painted mouth. He had stared at her, telling himself that she was lying, that she meant something else in her words. "I hate you."

"You don't mean that." He told her softly. He reached out for her; she didn't even flinch as his hands grabbed her roughly by her arms. She stared at him, so calm, as if she was telling him the time. "Hinata, your only saying this to make me go, but I wont I know you don't mean this."

"It was a childish crush and I grew up. I don't love you. I'm sorry but it's over." She replied casually. He shook her; somehow her eyes never left his.

"Stop it!" he finally yelled pushing her away from him. "It's not over!" he screamed at her, she remained unfazed. "I won't let it be over."

"I don't love you. I hate you." She repeated.

"No, just shut up!" he screamed at her as he paced the length of the room. She was staring at him; he knew she was waiting, planning her next move, the killing blow. He glared at her.

"I don't love you, I never did." She finished.

**Present Time**

"What happens if we don't find them?" Naruto asked as they reached the wreckage that was the sound. Sakura frowned, Sasuke wouldn't be there he had probably escaped whatever had happened here and was somewhere else, but where. She didn't know, all the training she had done, the plans she made. All for this moment to bring him back and he wasn't even there. She looked at her teammates, Naruto was slightly devastated, Shino was Shino and Kiba he was growling low in throat.

"Their not here." Kiba growled.

"How do you know?" Naruto asked. Akamaru whined softly.

"Kiba is there something that you know, that we don't?" Sakura asked.

"From the smell, it was a fire." Kiba stated as he sniffed the air.

"A fire?" Naruto whispered as he started at the wreckage. Kiba nodded.

"Sasuke and Hinata are probably long gone." Kiba said with a smirk. "He probably had this planned from the start." Shino looked at Kiba as did everyone else.

"Sasuke wouldn't" Sakura started, only to stop when Kiba looked at her.

"He wouldn't burn a whole village to the ground?" Kiba finished. "Is that what you believe?"

"What do you know about Sasuke?" Naruto demanded.

"I know that he was stalking Hinata, I know that he kidnapped her and I know for a fact the bastard thinks he's in love with her, but he's not and once she pisses him off he'll kill her." Kiba stated, closing his eyes, trying and failing to stop the memories from rising.

"Kiba." Shino started, Kiba only shook his head.

"Maybe they left a clue." Sasuke whispered.

**Alternate Universe: one month before Hinata runs away with Sasuke. **

"You worry too much." Hinata told him amused that he was freaking out.

"You're suicidal! Of course I worry!" Kiba yelled at her angry that once again she was testing fate. "If you weren't I wouldn't worry I'd be perfectly happy!" He told her as she smiled at him.

"He wont hurt me physically, I trust him, I love him doesn't that count for anything?" she asked him. Kiba sighed and sat down on the grass, this was just too much for him to take. She was pushing his buttons and she knew it.

"No it's not, Love doesn't tear you apart." He told her. Hinata smiled at him.

"Then why is it tearing you apart?" she asked him. He stared at her unsure how to answer her. "Why is it tearing me apart?"

"I have no clue." Kiba told her, handing her a soda. "I love you."

Three simple words that can mean so much, like stay, don't go with him, I miss you, I need you or it can simply mean I love you. Hinata never understood what I love you meant with Kiba; she sighed and sat beside him taking the soda he offered. He was staring at her, she smiled at him and said her usual response to an I love you from Kiba.

"I love you too." Kiba smiled at her, thinking her I love you meant the same as his always did. A simple I love you. He looked at her as she opened her soda, if Sasuke had never been around they could have been together, he smiled. One day would happen. He was sure of it. One day they would be happy.

"How's Neji?" Kiba asked her.

"Good, he's Anbu now. Always on missions, he's paranoid. Thinks I'm going to run off with Sasuke one day, or you." She answered.

"We can run away." Kiba told her jokingly.

"Where would we go?" She asked him amused that he was playful now.

"Don't know someplace nice." She sighed. Kiba looked at her. "Where are you and Sasuke going to run off too?"

"Some place nice." She answered. "Some place where we can be together, the way we always wanted to be. The way it was supposed to be."

"The way he wants it to be." Kiba added.

"Why don't you like Sasuke?" Hinata asked him.

"Because I'm not blind." Was his answer to her question. She stood and left, walking away from him. He turned and looked at her. "One day you won't be either Hinata, and when you see what Sasuke really is, you'll run away!" Kiba yelled after her. "And you'll never be able to run away fast enough!"


	23. you do too

Chapter 23: Run Away

They had a house; it was a small house on the outskirts of town. It was their home; in the back of the house was a garden. Where she grew herbs, vegetables and fruit, at first he had been annoyed that she wanted a garden. Then after watching her work he was happy. It made her happy; it gave her something to do. She looked up and smiled at him, he smiled back. It was going to rain, that was why she was out there tending to her garden hoping to protect it from the storm she sore was coming their way.

He turned away from the window and returned to the dishes he had swore he'd wash before she was done. He knew he swore because she had trapped him into making that deal. He had been half asleep when she started kissing him, asking him to do the dishes for today. At first he had said no then her lips started kissing his neck and he agreed. Aside from training he spent the majority of his time with her, sometimes she'd watch him train, clapping when he preformed a new technique. They had been here for a year, he was happy.

Hinata looked up as a large white dog was staring at her, his head slightly tilted as he watched her. She smiled at the dog and moved her hand out, calling the dog over to her. The dog slowly made his way over to her; he didn't make a sound just stopped once he was in arms reach. She petted the dog, it was so calm. It was familiar to her in someway, she knew this dog she was sure of it.

The dog nuzzled her hand and then pulled on her sleeve, tugging her to follow him.

Sasuke looked up after he had washed the last dish, she was going to dry them. He looked out the window, frowning she wasn't there. He walked over to the back door and frowned.

"Hinata?" Sasuke called as he looked around. He frowned, his eyes changing from black to red, she didn't just disappear she told him where she was going. "Hinata!" he screamed.

Hinata on the other hand was unable to scream a clawed hand was covering her mouth as she was dragged deeper into the forest. She shut her eyes as she heard Sasuke screaming her name. The person dragging her said nothing to her, she wished she had listened to Sasuke and at least learned some skills for self defense. She tried to step on her attackers toes and bite him but he seemed expectant of that. The dog she had followed walked beside them occasionally whining at them.

Finally he stopped and spoke to her. "Hinata, don't scream."

she tried to look at him wondering how he knew her name, the arm around her waist loosened letting her put about an inch of distance between them. The hand over her mouth moved, she turned to look at her attacker, once their eyes met his when wider.

"Your eyes." He whispered. "What happened to your eyes?" She blinked and stared at him, her eyes had always been like this. She was born with black eyes. "Hinata did Sasuke do something to your eyes?" he asked her his hands on her shoulders. She stared at him he was acting as if she should know him.

"who are you, what do you want?" she asked him as she tried to take a step back only to find the large white dog against her legs, keeping her from moving. She heard Sasuke scream her name again, she turned in the direction of Sasuke voice and screamed, as loud as she could and as long before Kiba's hand once again covered her mouth. She started struggling again, kicking and screaming, clawing at his arms as he moved again, walking faster now, running.

Sasuke turned when he heard the scream, he moved in that direction when a voice stopped him. "Sasuke-kun." He turned looking at his old teammates staring at him. He turned back in the direction that Hinata had to be. "Kiba has her, she's fine. Were bringing you back." Sasuke turned slowly, apparently whatever expression he had on his face, made them take a step back and take a stance.

"How dare you come in to my home and kidnap my wife." Sasuke hissed silently.

Kiba winced every time her nails cut into him, or she bite his hand. He ran in the direction that Shino was waiting. It was simple, they grabbed Hinata and high tailed it out of there. Once Shino came into view Kiba let out the breath he had been holding.

"I got her!" Kiba told Shino. Hinata kicked him and clawed at his arms. "Sasuke did something to her." he told Shino as he released her making sure she remained in front of him and between him and Shino.

She looked at both of them, Shino noticed her eyes too, black eyes. The dog was watching her too, she could run but more than likely they would follow. She just stood there with her eyes closed trying to think. Sasuke would come and get her; she felt one of them put their hand on her shoulder. She pulled back and screamed for Sasuke.

"Relax will you, your safe now." She didn't open her eyes, she didn't want to.

"Hinata." she opened her eyes. Sasuke was standing there. She ran to him only to be stopped by the arm around her waist again, she clawed at him again. "Inuzuka let her go." Hinata stopped clawing, Sasuke knew them. She turned and looked at them. If Sasuke knew them where they from the leaf, that was where Sasuke was from.

"I thought Naruto would be able to handle you." Kiba stated.

"Let go of my wife." Sasuke stated calmly.

"Wife." Kiba yelled, pushing Hinata into Shino who caught her.

"Yes my wife, where you hoping that she was free Inuzuka." Sasuke taunted.

"She didn't love you then and she doesn't love you now!" Kiba shot back. Sasuke started at Kiba, "I remember what you did to her, and I won't let you kill her again."

"You remember too." Sasuke stated interested. "Then you know what will happen to you if you attempt to interfere with me and Hinata."

"She left you after you nearly killed me didn't she." Kiba stated smirking.

"Always wanting what you can't have." Hinata stared she was confused apparently so was the person who was now holding her. Sasuke was taunting one of them, who apparently knew her. "But now Hinata's mine and she doesn't remember you."

"Sasuke, what are talking about?" Hinata asked him, confussed and hurt. Kiba smirled as sasuke frowned.


	24. Hello

Chapter 24: Hello

"Tell her the truth!" Kiba yelled. "Tell her what you are!!" Hinata stared at the one Sasuke called Inuzuka. What truth was he talking about? What was he talking about, she looked at her captor at the moment he seemed confused too.

"Sasuke, what's going on?" she asked him softly. He looked at her, the wide eyes; he had seen this look before.

"_What are you doing!!?" Hinata screamed. Sasuke turned and looked at her she was staring at him, eyes wide, she was terrified of him. He looked at the Inuzuka who lay bloodied and unconscious on the floor. She made her way past him to the Inuzuka. _

"_Kiba!" She yelled checking for his pulse. "Please be okay." Sasuke watched her as she performed some hand signals and green charka emitted from her hands. He frowned as she healed Kiba. _

"_I've come to take you back, he tried to stop me." She looked at him, then back at Kiba. "I had believed that you would be faithful to me, only you took a husband and a lover the Inuzuka, I believed you!" Sasuke yelled at her. _

"_I don't love you." She whispered as she stared at her teammate before looking at him again. "I believed that I could save you, but I couldn't. I loved Sasuke, the Sasuke I remembered the one that wasn't trying to follow in Itachi's footsteps!" she yelled back, uncaring that Kiba was waking up, both where staring at her. "I want you gone!" _

_Sasuke stared at her, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. Kiba sat up placing his hands on Hinata's shoulders. _

"_You hear her, get out!" Kiba snarled. Sasuke stared at them. _

"_I told you the price of betraying me." Hinata nodded and closed her eyes. _

"_You're not touching her!!" Kiba yelled standing his wounds healed. _

"You could never stop me Inuzuka." Sasuke replied staring at Hinata. She was scared right now actually clinging to her captor; the Aburame was holding her tightly to him. "Hinata, listen to me not to them, they where the ones that hurt you before when we first tried to run away, they where the ones that caused you to lose your memory." Hinata nodded and Kiba looked at her horrified that she was listening to Sasuke.

Naruto opened his eyes, Sasuke had actually tried to kill him he would have but Hinata scream had distracted him, and just like that Sasuke was gone. This Sasuke wasn't the one he remembered there was something about this Sasuke that made Naruto scared. Maybe Sasuke really was lost, he couldn't save his teammate. He looked over at Sakura, she was still breathing he smiled at her. He struggled to his feet and made his way over to her.

"Sakura-Chan." He whispered softly as he kneeled beside her. "Wake up."

"No. Don't listen to him! You where born in the Leaf your name is Hyuuga Hinata! He kidnapped you and brought you to the sound, when you tried to escape him you lost your memory! You're a memory of team 8, just like me and Shino. Look at me, you called me Kiba-kun, you called him Shino-kun!!!" Kiba yelled at her.

"Kiba-kun, Shino-kun." Hinata whispered closing her eyes she was remembering something, in her head she saw them her teammates. "I tried to get away but I fell." She whispered. Her hand going to her head, Sasuke's eye narrowed as he moved going in to attack the Aburame. Shino pushed Hinata out of the way.

Hinata fell on the floor and looked up at Shino. Kiba moved to help Shino that was when she saw him, before she heard him. Naruto was back.

"Sasuke!!" Naruto screamed. Hinata stared at him that was when it hit her. Naruto-kun, he was the one that was in her dream. Sasuke turned his attention back on Naruto.

"Why wont you just die!!" Sasuke screamed.

Hinata looked up as Kiba lifted her. "Come Hinata, we're going home." She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Kiba-kun?" she asked still slightly unsure.

"It's me Hinata, I got you now." He told her as he placed her on Akamaru. Shino looked at her and smiled.

"You are safe Hinata." Shino told her softly.

_Shino held her as she shook, the seal wouldn't be placed on her. "It is alright Hinata, you are safe now." She looked up at him, her hands clutching his jacket. Kiba stared at them; Shino was being nice to her. "It is over." Hinata nodded. Kiba looked at Neji who nodded and closed the door behind him, there was to be a meeting about Hinata's fate. _

"_Neji won't let them hurt you." Kiba told Hinata. She was still shaking, she was pale and close to shock. Shino smoothed out her hair, rubbing her arm trying to keep her warm. _

"_They where going to kill me." She whispered. _

"_It is alright, they won't kill you." Shino whispered. "We will not allow it." _

_She nodded. "Thank you Shino." Shino nodded. Kiba stared at Shino and smiled, Shino wasn't paying attention, but Kiba understood. Shino and Hinata where getting along. For the first time the two of them were realizing that they where human. _

"Shino's right it's over." With that they left, leaving Naruto to distract Sasuke.

"What the hell is wrong with you!!?" Naruto yelled. Sasuke said nothing, he was frowning.

"Inuzuka. He's always after what's mine. Always after her." Sasuke hissed. He looked up at Naruto who took a step back. "Go to sleep." Naruto opened his mouth to say something only he couldn't he had collapsed. Sasuke turned in the direction that Hinata had been taken. There was nothing that they could do Hinata was his.

"He's my husband." Hinata whispered. Kiba looked at her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her. His arm tightening around her waist.

"I want to go back, Sasuke I love him, I need to go back." She stated.

"No." Kiba whispered into her hair. "If you go back, no one can save you."

"Why would I need to be saved from my husband?" Hinata asked him.

"_Hinata!" Kiba yelled. He ran to her and kneeled beside her. "Hinata, please wake up." She wouldn't he already knew from the smell. She was dead, Sasuke had fixed her up to the best of his ability but he couldn't bring her back. "Please." He pleaded crying. _

_Sasuke sat there on the far side of the wall, he had been crying. Kiba looked up at him and snarled. _

"_Why!" Kiba yelled. Sasuke said nothing, he didn't even look at them. "Hinata loved you and you killed her!" Kiba yelled. "You killed her!" Sasuke finally turned and looked at Kiba. _

"_She'll wake up, there will be another chance." Kiba stared at Sasuke. _

"_You're insane." Kiba whispered. _

"_No, once I die I'll be reunited with her, and we'll be happy." Sasuke whispered. _

"_Hinata." Kiba whispered. "I couldn't protect you." _

Kiba said nothing. He couldn't say anything, he wouldn't.

"Kiba, I believe that Sasuke is on our trail." Shino stated.

"Fucking Naruto can't he do anything right?!" Kiba yelled.

Hinata looked at him, Naruto. She shook her head; there was something about that name, something she was supposed to remember. Something that she had wanted to say, something that Sasuke told her.

Hinata bit her bottom lip, Sasuke she needed to be with Sasuke. "I'm sorry." She whispered. Kiba looked at her; he flinched when her elbow connected with his face. His grip on her loosened. Akamaru slowed down. Shino looked on wide eyed. That was all the time that Sasuke needed.

Shino grunted as Sasuke slammed the handle into his stomach before turning and kicking Kiba in the head. Hinata reached for him, he took her hand in his.

"I knew you'd come for me." She whispered softly as he pulled her to him. Akamaru turned and snarled at Sasuke. Hinata turned and looked at Akamaru. "Stay Akamaru, stay and watch Shino-kun and Kiba-kun, stay and make sure that Naruto-kun is alright." Akamaru barked at her.

Sasuke looked at her. She smiled at him. "Lets go home Sasuke." She whispered hugging him. "I want to go home, to the leaf." Sasuke smoothed out her hair and nodded.

"Then we will go back." He whispered. He looked at Shino and Kiba, and smiled. "I told you Inuzuka I will not lose her again." Hinata said nothing; all she knew was that there was something that she was supposed to remember, something very important. It had to do with Naruto. She needed to go to the leaf that was where her memory was.

She needed to remember, she needed to know why she believed the Inuzuka. She looked up at Sasuke; she needed to know why she couldn't love her husband.


	25. A memory lost is a memory gained

Chapter 25: A memory lost is a memory gained.

If you ever had the chance to forget everything and start over to have a new chance a new life, would you take it? Would you really want to forget everything, the good, the bad and the ugly that formed your life that formed you? It had seemed simple at first to take the offer, to make the deal. It wasn't that simple, there was something attached with to it, something that she had brought back.

Sasuke looked at Hinata she was silent; the trip back was made in silence. Naruto and Shino where watching him while Kiba kept Hinata close to him, letting her ride on Akamaru with him. Sakura walked beside Naruto unable to make eye contact with him, Sasuke didn't care. He was too busy watching Hinata. She just staring straight ahead but he knew that she was thinking. He just didn't know what she was thinking about. She never really told him what she thought about. Kiba caught him staring at her and snarled, Hinata blinked and looked at Sasuke.

"Sasuke?" she asked. Kiba's arm tightened around her waist, making sure Sasuke got a good look at his sharp and mean looking teeth. Sasuke snarled back, Kiba was all bark and no bite, especially when Hinata was there.

Sasuke only smiled at her and looked back at the area in front of him. Hinata looked at Kiba who smiled at her. She didn't smile back, like Sasuke she returned to staring straight ahead.

"You're going home Hinata." Kiba told her.

"I don't want to be separated from Sasuke, he is my husband." Hinata replied.

Kiba sighed, she knew he sighed she could feel it; he was holding her so close that she felt every breath he took. Sasuke smiled at Hinata's answer, they wouldn't separate them. Hinata was his wife, he was the last of the Uchiha, well the last sane Uchiha and the mix of the Byakugan and Sharrigan would be enough to ensure his marriage stayed intact.

Neji would be against this union, either because he wanted Hinata as his own he simply wanted to watch her suffer. Sasuke frowned and glared. He really didn't want to return to the leaf but Hinata wanted to, he would give her this, even if they would only stay in the leaf for awhile.

Hinata was stroking Akamaru's fur with her hand. Kiba was watching her, she was so close yet she was further from him then she had ever been in her life. He rested his chin on the top of her head; she didn't seem to mind him trying to get close to her.

_Kiba smiled as she stroked his hair, Itachi and Shino had left them behind, Kiba was injured and Hinata wasn't needed. He stared at her; she was humming softly her eyes closed. He had never noticed her before, she was his teammate and all she could do was heal, and look through walls, which he found slightly cool. Just slightly. _

"_Hinata." She opened her eyes and smiled at him. _

"_What is it?" she asked him softly, patiently. _

"_Thank you for staying with me." Kiba told her. "You didn't have to." _

"_You're important to me Kiba." She told him as she closed her eyes again. _

_He smiled at her finding a comfortable place for his head on her thighs. He was important to her, even after he had been so cold to her, told her to go home because she was useless. He swallowed loudly. Her fingers felt nice in his hair, he smiled, but there was only one problem, she was bleeding, down there. He shifted turning away from the smell, it was weird he never expected her to bleed; she was like the porcelain doll he had broken. Had to be handled with care, but he just couldn't. _

"_Are you alright?" Hinata asked him. He nodded. _

"_Don't stop humming." He whispered. "I like it when you hum." _

_She continued humming, her fingers brushing her hair. _

"_Why do you let Itachi and Shino push you around?" he asked her suddenly. _

"_It doesn't matter to me." She answered. _

"_liar." He turned facing her again. "It hurts you; I've smelled your tears before." _

"_You push me around." She reminded him. _

"_I'm sorry." He told her awkwardly. _

"_It doesn't matter to me, I'm used to it." She answered. _

"_Because your family sent you to live with Itachi?" at her curious look he blushed slightly. "Shino told me, he knows everything." _

_She laughed softly, she didn't consider Shino to be human she had told him so herself after she had slapped him. Shino deserved it; he had accused her of being Itachi's whore that was the only way she could get the special treatment, the treatment she didn't deserve. Kiba just stared at her, did he like her? He had taken the hit for her, taken the kunai's in the arms and stomach, because he didn't want to see her hurt. _

_He closed his eyes, he didn't like her and when he opened his eyes she would look like a hag and not the fallen angel she appeared to be when she slept and smiled and did all the things he watched her do. This was just hormones that was all it was. He opened his eyes and saw her, her hair had grown almost reaching her shoulders; she looked so pale, so hot. He swallowed, it was because she wasn't wearing her jacket, it was draped over him, and she was just in her bindings and the fishnet, the long sleeve fishnet that he could cut with his nail so easily. _

_It would be so easy, to just pull her to him and kiss her. He closed his eyes again, no, no, no!! He didn't want her, he didn't want to touch her, he was 15 he didn't want anything to do with her. _

"_Are you alright?" she whispered softly to him. He opened his eyes, she was closer to him now, her hand on his wound, the green charka, her charka coursing through his system, she was in his system, and he wanted to be in her. _

"_I'm a sick man Hinata." He confessed as he laughed softly. "I'm thinking bad thoughts about you and me, right here and now, me inside you." She stared at him. He placed his hand on hers. She looked so scared so unsure, it made his heart hurt. "Just stay with me for awhile longer." She nodded and he closed his eyes. She held him as she hummed softly to him until Kiba fell asleep. _

_Hinata sighed, once she was sure that Kiba was asleep. She wanted to shake him tell him that she didn't want him to think bad thoughts about her. That she only wanted a friend just one, someone she could confide in. She leaned against the wall; Kiba's weight had put her legs to sleep. She couldn't move just her one hand that Kiba wasn't holding, and it apparently had a mind of its own, it just continued stroking his hair. _

_Itachi wanted something from her; Shino hated her, whispered mean things in her ear made sure he was especially cruel to her when they trained. Kiba was the only nice one to her, even when he yelled at her for being useless, he talked to her, sometimes even walked with her. Sometimes when they walked after the especially hard missions he didn't talk to her; he just let her carry Akamaru, she learned that was his apology for being mean to her. Sometimes he even slugged Shino for being an ass; in return she healed the wounds that Shino left him. _

_She believed that Kiba could be her friend; she couldn't confide in Neji anymore, she had stopped confiding in him when she turned eight. Neji loved her, and she went to him because he was the only one that she could go to. Now she might have someone else, maybe she had Kiba on her side; she liked that idea very much. _

"_My mother was Haiashi's mistress." Hinata started, Kiba didn't move. She didn't know if he could even hear her. "His wife hates me, once I was born there was no need for them to care, I wasn't born with the Byakugan, when I turned three I was brought to the Hyuuga compound, because my eyes began to bleed. I screamed and cried when they pulled me from my mother's arms, I miss her sometimes, she's dead now. Hanged herself, she just killed herself and I could do nothing, I cried for her. I cried so hard for her, I was four and she left me. Neji was the only one who was nice to me, his mother had died too, I slept in his bed, because he would protect me." She paused smiling at Kiba as he moved his head closer to her. _

"_He promised that he would. I believed him, then I turned eight and I realized that he couldn't save me, no one could." She opened her mouth to say more when his hand squeezed hers. _

"_I'm here so is Akamaru." He told her, she smiled at him and nodded looking at the sleeping dog. "I'll save you." _

"_I know Kiba." He opened his eyes and smiled at her. _

"_Say it." She nodded and squeezed his hand. _

"_Kiba-kun." He nodded. _

"_That wasn't so hard was it?" He asked her. She smiled and closed her own eyes. She was tired, she wasn't used to using so much charka yet, Itachi told her that one day she would be. "Go to sleep, I'll stay up." _

"_Thank you Kiba-kun." She whispered. _

_Kiba wrapped one arm around her waist his nose pressed against her stomach, he didn't want to let go of her hand yet. She felt the tear fall, she smiled softly. She was crying. Kiba had made her cry, Akamaru looked at her. He walked over to her, nestling himself against her side. That's how Itachi and Shino found them when they returned, Kiba asleep on her thighs his arms wrapped around her waist, Akamaru snarling at them from her side and Hinata sleeping her hand in Kiba's hair. _

Kiba blinked, Hinata had fallen asleep her hand on his, pressed against her stomach. He smiled at her, she was either really tired or she trusted him enough to sleep. He looked at Sasuke who was looking at him the same way Neji and Itachi did.

"Enjoy it while you can." Kiba frowned as Sasuke smiled at him. "We won't be in the leaf long." Kiba rolled his eyes. Like he would allow Sasuke to take Hinata away, Hinata was in his arms not Sasuke's. Kiba smiled at Akamaru who barked softly at him. When Kiba winked Akamaru took off Kiba on his back and Hinata in Kiba's arms.

"Yahoo!!" Kiba yelled.

Hinata opened her eyes, Kiba was laughing and Akamaru was barking.

"What?!" she yelled over to roar from the wind.

"Just hang on!" Kiba told her.

"To what!?" She asked.

"Me." She clung to his arm, she liked this, strangely she liked this. She found herself laughing with Kiba as Akamaru raced to the leaf.

"Yahoo!!" Kiba yelled again.

"_Yahoo!" Hinata screamed in unison with Kiba as he jumped off the cliff aiming for the water. The water was cold, she kept her eyes closed. Kiba brought her to the surface and laughed as Hinata coughed. "Isn't this fun?" Kiba asked her as he swam to the shore. _

"_It's cold." She told him. _

"_It wakes you up though." she stared at the small cliff that they had jumped form and smiled, she would never have been able to do that herself. "Want to do it again?" he asked her. She shook her head and smiled. "Why not." He asked her. "If you jump with your eyes open it's more of a rush." _

"_Rush?" Hinata asked. _

"_It helps me feel alive." Hinata stared at him unsure what he meant. _

"_Alive?" he nodded. _

"_Didn't it make you feel something?" she didn't answer. _

"It's like a rush!" Hinata told Kiba.

"I know!" Kiba yelled back. "It reminds you that you are."

"Alive." Hinata finished laughing. Kiba nodded, Hinata remembered she just didn't realize it. He noticed something though she still kept her eyes closed.


	26. I remember you, do you remember me?

Chapter 26: I remember you, do you remember me?

Anything can trigger memories, smell, taste, touch and sight. Anything can make you remember what it was that you where trying to forget. Hinata sat there on her bed, Sasuke had snuck into the Hyuuga compound again, that was when she remembered seeing his red eyes staring down at her, feeling his hands in her hair, his lips on hers. The candle light flickered in the darkness, she didn't want to sleep, she was scared. Red eyes, all she saw was red eyes pressing her down on the bed. Sasuke lay beside her, she didn't want to touch him, she didn't want to wake him.

She remembered. She closed her eyes as she covered her mouth. She didn't want him to hear her cry, she didn't want him to comfort her. Those years she had been with him, three years that she had been beside him.

"Hinata?" she jumped as Sasuke rolled over on his back looking at her, those red eyes staring at her. "What's wrong?" he asked her, his hand reaching out to her. She shook her head; the candle light was flickering again. He could see her tears, he sat up. Moving closer to her, embracing her in his arms, Hinata wanted to scream. He stroked her hair and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"Go to sleep, I promise you we won't stay here long." She looked up at him. He laid her back down on the futon, laying beside her, his head on her chest, listening to her heart. She wanted to push him away from her and scream for someone anyone to make him go away, only her voice was not cooperating with her. In her head where the memories she had forgotten, her teammates her life before Sasuke had kidnapped her, then there was the three years she had spent with him, living the life he had lead her to believe was hers.

She moved her hand stroking his hair, she closed her eyes. She remembered being in the sound with Sasuke, standing in the shadows as he killed, standing beside him as they watched the sound burn to the ground. Sasuke scared her. No matter what she did he would follow her, he would find her and he would hurt her. He had changed her; she had seen her eyes in her hand mirror, black eyes. She remembered laughing as he wrote the symbols on her forehead and temples his smile. He leaned in to kiss her, after destroying the sound; he had told her she needed to change her appearance. She had nodded and they had spoke about the different eye colors that she could choose, she remembered leaning into him, her lips brushing against his.

She wanted eyes like his. He had given them to her, his lips never leaving hers.

Sasuke was the first to wake up, he could hear her heart beating, he smiled. She was still with him; he sighed and rolled over on his back. He had never wanted to return to the leaf, he had expected he would actually be able to live his life in peace with her. He smiled, the wedding was still intact, Hinata's father had greedily accepted it. The thought of his daughters and the Uchiha's offspring was enough for him to overlook anything else, even Neji's annoying voice of reason and the loud head ache causing voice of the Inuzuka who had been listening in.

Hinata opened her eyes Sasuke was stoking her hair, smiling at her. "Morning." Sasuke told her before he moved laying on top of her. She turned her head away and Sasuke laughed softly. "Does my breath smell that bad?" he asked her. She looked at him, his laugh relaxed her. She smiled softly at him. "I'll go clean up, don't move." She sat up once he entered her bathroom. She stretched, she was about to stand up when Sasuke's voice stopped her.

"I thought I told you not to move, or do you want to join me in the shower?" Hinata stared at him, she was looking at a very naked and as Kiba put it "Happy" Sasuke. Sasuke only smiled and walked over to her, throwing her over his shoulder. She knew what was going to happen next, strangely she welcomed it.

Sasuke dressed, Hinata was brushing her hair, he stared at her. Something was wrong, he knew it, she had been different. She kept her eyes closed; she never moved her hands, just kept her arms wrapped around his neck. He kneeled besides her wrapping his arms around her waist his head on her shoulder. She placed her hands on his arm, closing her eyes.

"Sasuke?" she asked.

"The night in the sound when you finally kissed me what did you tell me?" he asked her.

"Stay." She replied, feeling his relax. She had done something to make him feel that she had remembered. "I'm sacred Sasuke, this place, these people. I'm scared that you'll leave me." This apparently was enough. She heard Sasuke laugh softly against her skin.

"I thought, never mind." He whispered.

"What's going to happen to us?" Sasuke hand drifted lower, Hinata closed her eyes letting out a soft sigh.

"I'll deal with everything." He kissed her shoulder. "Just relax."

She wanted to tell him to stop, to leave her alone. Only every time she opened her mouth she was moaning or, sighing or whispering his name. He was still behind her, kissing her check and temple, her lips when she turned to look at him.

"Hinata." Sasuke whispered. She turned to look at him, his red eyes staring at her. She whimpered softly.

"Hinata Sama!" Sasuke cursed he knew that voice it was Neji. "Are you alright?"

Sasuke removed his hand, Hinata whimpered again. "I'll make it up to you." He placed the towel on her shoulders and walked to the door. He slid open the door to her room, smiling at Neji. Who was frowning at him, not the frown of a pissed off lover or husband but the frown of an over protective, disapproving cousin. Sasuke wanted to jump up down while clapping his hands together, this Neji wasn't after Hinata. So that meant all the he had worry about was Kiba.

"Is there something wrong?" Sasuke asked.

"I heard Hinata…" Neji's voice trailed off at the grin Sasuke suddenly had. Neji made a face; his newly returned cousin was having S.E. X. with Sasuke. That was so wrong; Neji mumbled a quick apology and left hurriedly. Sasuke slid closed the door and laughed.

Hinata looked at Sasuke as he laughed. She wanted to hate him, but she couldn't she paled. Was she in love with Sasuke, did she fall in love with him during the three years. She looked down hugging herself, she loved Naruto. She had always loved Naruto, ever since he had walked with her in the rain as he held his jacket over them. She couldn't stop the whispered Naruto-kun from slipping past her lips. She looked up when Sasuke placed his hands on her shoulders.

There was no expression on his face. "You remember."

Kiba sat there under the tree with Akamaru. He wanted to go see her but he kept on chickening out. She didn't know him, she wasn't the Hinata he remembered or the Hinata he knew in this time. She was different, she was a little parceling doll, she had no personality, she was just there. Sasuke pulled all her strings; it was painful to see her. The Hinata he knew would have screamed and kicked if someone tried to control her. The Hinata of this time would have ran and hide behind him and Shino.

Instead she had just sat there, her eyes so cold. Kiba frowned and sat up; he wanted to do something but what? What could he do, Sasuke knew him too well. He hated Sasuke, a lot. He crossed his legs, blinking when someone was standing in his light. His eyes widened.

"Sasuke."

The wind picked up, Hinata looked up from her futon, drying her tears and fixing her robe. She walked over to the window. She closed her eyes and just stood there letting the breeze dry her tears.

Sasuke didn't say anything had needed to take a walk, and there under the tree right across from the Hyuuga compounds gates was Kiba looking as pathetic as usual, actually more so. He saw Kiba place his hands over his nose, apparently smelling Hinata on him.

"Why must you embarrass yourself?" Sasuke asked. Kiba only glared at him not removing his hands. "Che." Sasuke stated as he walked off. Kiba's eyes narrowed as he watched Sasuke walk off. Akamaru barked and Kiba nodded now was the time to see Hinata.

After about twenty minutes the door to Hinata's room slid open. Kiba peered inside there was no blood so Hinata had to alright.

"Hinata?" Kiba asked as he closed the door behind him. Hinata looked away from the window and smiled.

"Kiba-kun." She said quickly before hugging him. Kiba froze did she just call him Kiba-kun. Was she hugging him?

"Hin..Hinata?" Kiba blinked was he stuttering. She looked up at him. "You remember me." He asked her, she nodded. Kiba hugged her again. Nearly crushing her against him, till he remembered Sasuke. He held her at an arms distance looking her over, she was in robe, she had just taken a shower and smelled like, that word he never ever wanted to mention in the same sentence as Sasuke and Hinata ever. "Did he do something to you?" he asked her.

"No." she answered avoiding the whole, sex thing. "He went for a walk after he realized that I remembered." Kiba nodded.

"Then is the marriage over?" Hinata shook her head. "That sucks."

"Kiba-kun is it wrong if I love him?" Kiba then did something he had never done in his entire life; he passed out, pinning Hinata to the ground under his dead weight.

"Kiba-kun!!" Neji walked past Hinata's door and paused. Surely his cousin was not with Kiba after she had been with Sasuke, which would be improper and strangely awkward.

Neji knocked on the door. "Hinata-Sama?"

"I can't get up Kiba's on top of me!" Neji felt a little hot under the collar.

"Shall I come back later?"

"What's going on?" Neji turned, Sasuke was looking at him.

"Kiba is on top of Hinata Sama." Sasuke raised an eyebrow and entered the room. After staring in shock for awhile he pushed Kiba off of Hinata.

"Kiba-kun passed out." Hinata told him. Sasuke nodded and poked Kiba on the side with his foot. Sasuke helped Hinata up and nodded. Hinata looked up at him. "You came back." She whispered. Sasuke only nodded. "I'm glad."

"_Kiba!!" Kiba turned and almost started laughing, almost. Hinata and Shino where tied to the same tree. Only Shino's feet where touching the floor. "Stop laughing and get us out of here!!" Hinata yelled. Kiba nodded and walked over to them pausing to circle them, only one person could have done this. _

"_You two finally annoyed Itachi." Kiba stated proudly, Hinata and Shino only glared at him. "Now you know how it feels to be tied to that tree. Tell me do you feel like laughing now?" _

_Shino tried to kick Kiba as did Hinata, who stood just outside their reach. Kiba placed his hands on his hips and smiled. _

"_Tell me how great I am and I'll untie you." _

"_You are great." Hinata mumbled after ten minutes. Kiba crossed his arms and turned to walk away. "Great and Sexy! That is what you are Kiba-kun!!" Hinata yelled. Kiba nodded. _

"_Say that you love me." _

"_I love you." Hinata mumbled. _

"_Shino your turn." Shino frowned at Kiba. _

"_You are not an idiot." Kiba nodded unless he wanted to be here an entire week he would accept that answer. So he untied them. Once he did Itachi arrived. _

"_Did you untie them Kiba-kun?" Kiba turned slowly and nodded at Itachi._

"_I was trying to teach them a lesson for all their bickering." Hinata and Shino looked at each other than at Itachi. _

"_We tricked him into untying us." Hinata stated quickly. Shino nodded._

"_We did not want to remain tied to that tree longer than necessary, since Kiba is not as intelligent as others; we informed him that someone was trying to kidnap us." Itachi frowned. _

"_You three are lying to me." Itachi stated frowning. _

_Three minutes later all of team 8 was tied to the same tree excluding Akamaru who was sitting by the tree watching Itachi perform some kata's. _

"_This is great." Kiba told them. "Shino can't lie."_

"_It could be worse." Itachi threw a kunai at them; it struck between Hinata's and Kiba's head. _

"_I believe I asked for silence." Team 8 nodded. Mentally planning war against their teacher, Akamaru barked at them and left. He returned an hour later with Sasuke, who merely stared at them. Itachi had left them 15 minutes ago, called to some meeting of great importance by the Hokeage. _

"_Sasuke is here to save the day again." Kiba muttered under his breath as Sasuke untied them. Sasuke smiled at Hinata who hugged him. _

"_You are so great Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke blushed and looked at the floor. Shino stated his thanks and left, Kiba stood there with Akamaru and glared at Sasuke. _

"_I untied you too." Kiba stated softly. Hinata turned and looked at Kiba. _

"_Did you say something Kiba?" she asked him. _

"_no." with that Kiba left, making sure to bump into Sasuke as he walked away. _

"_What's his problem?" Hinata shrugged. _

"_He doesn't like being tied to the tree?" _

Kiba opened his eyes he was on Hinata's bed. "Hinata?"

There was no one in the room. He frowned, he had passed out. Hinata was once again in love with Sasuke. There was something really wrong with life. Some up there hated him. He shook his head, he should go home and avoid the Hyuuga compound for awhile Hinata knew where he lived if she needed him she knew where to go, like usual his home was open to her. With that Kiba left through the open window.


	27. rough

Chapter 27: Repetition

Someone up there hated him and apparently a lot. For seven months he hadn't seen her, no, he didn't want to see her. If he did he couldn't stop the words from exiting his mouth, all the anger and pain she was causing him and the pain she had already caused. All of it would come crashing down on him and then her. He was a coward; Akamaru told him that much, maybe it was in hopes of snapping him out of this depression. This everlasting depression, once again he was left in the cold for Sasuke, once again she had left him.

The imaginary knife in his chest twisted deeper when he caught the scent outside the door. He walked on hesitant feet his hand shaking as he reached for the doorknob. He knew who it was before he even opened the door.

It was happening all over again. Kiba bit back the bitter smile as he stared at her. She wasn't looking at him; she was staring at her hands while he practically loomed over her in height. Someone up there hated him; he just wishes that he had known what he had done.

"Hinata." The name sounded harsh even on his lips. She winced slightly at his tone. He stepped aside giving her room to enter, after a few tense and rather long seconds she did, Kiba held his breath, she was to close to him. He didn't want to smell her, he hated her scent. He closed the door slowly, tensing when her hand was softly placed on his shoulder. Slowly he turned to face her, their eyes met and held.

"Why are you here?"

"I missed you."

Kiba glared at her. Her eyes softened he wanted to know what she was thinking. He turned his face away from her closing his eyes as he leaned against the door.

"Please look at me." He shook his head; he didn't want to look at her. He never wanted to look at her again. "Please."

"Why are you here?" he repeated harshly. She wanted to see him suffer; she liked to see him suffer.

"I wanted to see you."

He laughed bitterly at her statement. Seeing him like this was probably the silver lining on her rainy day. She'd go home and tell Sasuke and they would laugh and she would be happy with him. She would be happy with Sasuke and never him, never with him.

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see you Kiba-kun." He flinched as added the Kun to his name.

"Why Are You Here?!"

"To…to see you."

"STOP LYING! WHY ARE YOU HERE!!?"

He heard her take a step back; he knew that he had scared her. He laughed bitterly once more, he was scaring her. She was married to Uchiha Sasuke and HE was scaring her.

"Kiba-kun." There was a soft almost pleading tone to her voice. He felt her soft hand touch his. "Kiba-kun."

"Don't. Don't call me that." His hand griped hers.

"Please look at me." He shook his head again not caring if he was acting childish. It wasn't until the hand not in his touched his face.

"Look at me." He wanted to open his eyes, he could smell the tears.

"No." he whispered as he leaned into her touch.

"Kiba." He pulled her closer to him, his free hand brushing her hair, she had cut it. Her hair was shorter than he remembered it stopped just above her shoulders. How many times would this one scene play? How many times would be forced to watch her die, Sasuke would kill her, love was never enough.

He noticed Akamaru watching them from the stairs. Waiting for Kiba to make his decision, Hinata either stayed or she went, either way Akamaru would stand by Kiba's decision.

"Hinata. Please just go and don't come back."

He felt her pull away from him almost violently. His arms wrapped around her and hugged her, shutting his eyes he took one long deep breath of her scent. His hand tangled in her hair, she looked up at him looking so hurt so betrayed. He was supposed to be there for her, better or for worse, till death and yet they could not part. He kissed her; he couldn't understand why all he knew was that he wanted that one last kiss. Her kiss. This kiss. Their kiss. The only kiss that would ever matter, this was the only kiss either of them would remember.

He didn't know how long the kiss lasted only that when he pulled away he regretted it. Her eyes where still closed, he released her and opened the door. She opened her eyes when the cool breeze brushed past them.

"Please, just go."

They stared at each other for awhile. Her hand moved slowly across his face, lingering near his lips.

"Goodbye." Her whispered word, he felt his stomach tense. "Kiba-kun."

With that she walked away from him, she walked out of his door and back to the Uchiha. Kiba closed the door when Hinata was no longer in sight.

"Inuzuka you coward." He told himself as he closed the door. "You wanted her to stay." With that Kiba headed up the stairs, he just wanted to crawl under the covers of his bed and be alone for awhile, a long while.

……..

There was something almost comforting with marital life, it was the routines. Every morning he woke up beside his wife, than they spent some time doing married things before getting dressed and then eating breakfast. Then he would train with Neji and Hinata's father as Hinata watched and prepared them tea. After lunch he had the rest of the time with Hinata, he followed her around the compound and they talked. Then after dinner they went to their room. Then he fell asleep beside his wife and the entire routine repeated itself all over again.

Only today the routine had been broken, Hinata hadn't been there at lunch. No one but Neji apparently knew where she was. Neji's reply had been simply, "she went to the market. She'll be back before dinner."

Hinata was not there at lunch, she didn't leave the compound with out him. Sasuke frowned he was not used to having Hinata out of his sights. It was a few hours before dinner that Hinata returned home. She hadn't been to the market, from the look on her face she had returned from meeting someone that had not told her what she had wanted to hear.

"Where did you go? You missed lunch." Hinata blinked as if finally realizing that he had spoken to her.

"What?" Sasuke frowned. "I'm not feeling well." With that she walked quicker than normal to their room.

………..

Neji looked up; Sasuke was staring at him from the doorway. The rice bowl suddenly didn't look so tasty. Placing his rice bowl and chop sticks down he turned to face the Uchiha.

"Where was Hinata?"

"The market."

"Neji. Was Hinata going to meet someone?"

"She went to the market."

"Neji."

"Sasuke."

Both stared at each other waiting for the other to flinch. The two of them would be waiting for a long time.

……

"_Kiba sometimes you are such an idiot." _

Kiba groaned and rolled over on his back the covers protecting him from the outside world, they couldn't protect him from his own mind.

"_Why because I agree with Shino that you and Sasuke are just not meant to be?" He whispered to her as she pulled on her jacket. The tears where threatening to spill forth as she pinned Kiba against the wall. His hands moved to her elbows as she cried into his chest._

"_Why can't you be happy for me?!" Her muffled scream upset him. Why couldn't she understand? That was what he wanted to scream at her, that was what he wanted her to answer instead he told her what he knew would hurt her. _

"_Happy, for you and him, HA, he's not meant for you and you are so not meant for him!"_

_He hurt her, he resisted the urge to kiss her again, to try and convince her that he was the better man, that he was the right man. _

"_Kiba, you have it the other way around." _

_He paused as she stared at him, she looked so hurt and she wanted to hurt him back. He prepared himself for whatever she could hit him with. She backed away from him, pressing her back into the door. _

"_Something's in lives are not meant to be, I'm not meant for you and you are not meant for me." He frowned at her she shook her head and hugged herself. "I just wish you'd realize that. It would make it easier on every one Kiba." With that she turned and moved to the front door, his hand closed around her wrist stopping her. _

"_Hinata." she turned and looked at him. "I'm not sorry." He released her and she was gone. _

Kiba frowned. "I'm still not sorry, have a great life, really. I wish you the best. I really do and when he hurts you again and you finally open your eyes and see him, I'll be standing there like an idiot waiting. I wish you the best."

Akamaru laid on the floor watching Kiba talk to himself.

……………….

"Kiba. You idiot." Hinata whispered as she lay under the covers. She was never good with situations of any kind; she was never good at anything except finding herself in these situations. Sasuke was downstairs interrogating Neji who was immune to the Uchiha's integration tactics, so Sasuke would be bust for awhile.

She sat up pulling the covers down, Kiba had kissed her.

"Kiba." she laid back down pulling the covers over her head. "Kiba." She smiled her fingers brushing against her lips. Rolling on to her side she closed her eyes. Trying to figure out when Kiba first liked her. She blushed softly; she would go see Kiba again and try to understand.

……

"Kiba." Sasuke paused, he had heard her correctly she had said _that_ name. He crawled onto the bed slowly pulling back the covers; she turned her head to stare at him.

"Neji is immune to me." She nodded and smiled at him. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders she pulled him down for a kiss.

"I'm not Sasuke-kun." He smiled at her.


	28. Sinnerman Part I

Chapter 28: Sinnerman Part I

Alternate Universe

Waiting, she hated waiting. People came and went whispering as they walked past her, never looking at her. She wasn't worth looking at she was a waste of time, a waste of space. Her small hand gripped the doorframe as she watched; today was Hanabi's third birthday. Today Hinata would see if she was the heir, either they placed the seal on Hanabi or she received the seal when Hanabi was old enough to be heir.

Some one was standing beside her; she turned looking at her cousin. He smiled sadly at her, she wasn't supposed to be here, it was a main house celebration. He held out his hand to her. She looked back at the ceremony, her eyes narrowed slightly as Hanabi hugged her mother. Mother that was something Hinata was denied, the last time she had seen her mother, she was three and pulled out of her mother's arms, dragged away, screaming and crying. Absently her hand moved to her eyes, her fingertips pressed against her temples, she hated her eyes, her strange light violent eyes.

"Hinata-chan." He took her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. He led her away, not noticing the scowl. Hinata understood that she was going to die, the seal was placed on children, when Hanabi took her place as leader of the clan, a strangely calm hand brushed her forehead, the seal would be there one day, engraved on her corpse.

A sob left her mouth Neji stopped walking, she was crying. "I want my mother." She sobbed. Neji hugged her awkwardly, nodding, he missed his too.

123

Morning filtered into the room, her eyes opened slowly, she had overslept, she knew because she was alone, Neji had already left for training, her eyes narrowed before closing again. Today she was ten; today she was going to see her mother.

She slowly left the bed, her Byakugan flickering on. She had already spoken to her father, to Hiashi on this matter. If he allowed her to see her mother than she would accept her fate, she wouldn't fight when the seal was placed on her, when her clan killed her. Hiashi had stared at her; at this child that stared back at him with that woman's face, all that was his was her eyes but that woman had claimed those too, mixing her eye color with the Byakugan. He had nodded giving her permission, to see her mother, the last time to see the woman who had given birth to her.

On strangely tense and tired legs she walked to that district, the red district hidden in the leaf. People noticed her as she walked; the whispers started again, her Byakugan flared to life as she walked a little faster before breaking into a run. The whispers followed her, growing stronger and louder, growing until they where all she could hear.

Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed something, noticed someone. The charka was strange to her; she turned her head her Byakugan dimming. The young man walked past her, their eyes met and followed as he past her; there was something about him, something about his eyes, something that she saw. The other young man he was walking with said something breaking the slight contact, she returned to running, her Byakugan flaring again so she didn't have to look back.

Something strange curled inside her stomach as she stared at the door, the door she remembered being slammed open, the door she was dragged out of. She raised her fist knocking on the door, waiting for someone to answer.

Someone did someone with the purple eyes. "Mom?"

Nothing can last forever, Hinata sat there at the table with her mother, the woman who had been Haiashi's mistress. She had been hugged and comforted, she had been told that she was loved, that she was special that she was wanted. Hinata smiled, and talked to her mother telling her everything that she had been put through, about the deal with her father. She told her everything till there was nothing left to say.

For the first time, at least in Hinata's mind, time went by quickly. It wasn't seconds that slowed into minutes, which dragged into hours. For the first time she wasn't aware of the time, just of the person she was with. Her mother.

Soon someone knocked on the door, Hinata tensed wondering if someone had come to tell it what she didn't want to hear. She wanted more time with her mother, she wanted more than one day, she wanted the rest of her life.

Her mother stood smiling, promising that this time she wouldn't allow the Hyuuga clan to take her away. This time, it was her mother who was appealing to the Hokeage. Hinata smiled, memorizing her mother.

456

Her mother was staring at her, brushing the hair away from her pale face. "You'll live for me, you'll make them all pay Hinata, you're my daughter." Hinata nodded slowly, wondering why her mother was telling her this, why her mother was here at the compound. Hinata smiled as her mother pulled her into a hug, she closed her eyes. Lavender and lilacs, that was what her mother smelled like, she was warm and yielding, something the Hyuuga clan wasn't. Even when Neji hugged her it was cold and unbending, it was like hugging a tree or a wooden post, it wasn't home.

"Make them pay Hinata." her mother whispered. Hinata almost cried when her mother pulled away from her, "Make them pay for hurting us."

Hinata turned to look back, her father was standing there watching her from the doorway, Hinata's eyes narrowed. Her father, why couldn't she stop calling him that. Neji walked quickly over to her, he was her protector and he was going to be with her. He stopped halfway his own eyes widening, Hinata turned when she noticed her father walking over to her.

Two days later her mother hung herself on the tree by the front gate. Hinata didn't cry, Neji was holding her now. Telling her not to look. Hinata just stood there; she was her mothers' vengeance. She stared at her father as he ordered the guards to get her down. Their eyes meet, she was her mother's daughter, and she would never be a Hyuuga.

789

Neji, she stared at him as he slept. His hand holding hers, she frowned at him, she hated him. He was leaving on a mission in the morning, and she wouldn't see him for a month. She played with his hair, he was leaving her alone. He opened his eyes, smiling at her.

"hi." She smiled back. Tomorrow she would be assigned to her own team. Neji moved closer to her, leaning into the hand that was brushing his hair. "scared." She nodded. He smiled and nuzzled her slightly. "I'm sure you'll get some nice teammates and instructor."

"What if I don't?" she asked softly.

"Then they'll have to deal with me, you'll be fine."

1011

She sat at the desk waiting for her teacher to arrive, her teammates like her sat somewhere far away from each other, the Aburame was staring at some bugs that crawled along his desk, the Inuzuka was staring at her than the Aburame till finally he would whispering something to the dog that was on his head.

"so….who do you think were gonna get?" Hinata blinked the silence had been broken by the Inuzuka, she looked at the Aburame waiting to see if he would answer the question, he merely looked up and then back at the bugs that were now crawling along his hand.

"So...Hyuuga is it true your mom hung herself?" Hinata blinked, stiffening.

"Does it matter? Her mother was a whore, when are they of any value?" Hinata glared at the Aburame standing, the Aburame stood too. "Are you planning to do something?"

Her Byakugan flared, ever since her mothers past had been revealed, the Aburame had been tormenting her. He was waiting for her to do something and she did, she charged at him, she was stopped not by bugs or Iruka-sensai but someone else she looked up, those eyes stopped her. She knew those eyes; she knew what was behind them.

"Uchiha Itachi." Hinata blinked was that worship in the Aburame's voice. The Uchiha let her go, more as pushed her, she landed on the floor catching herself with her hands.

He looked at them briefly, measuring them. The Inuzuka's dog growled at the Uchiha before hiding in Kiba's jacket. Itachi said nothing, only motioned for them follow. After some hesitation they did.

"I don't like him either." The Inuzuka whispered under his breath to his dog. Hinata looked at him, wondering what the dog was saying. The Inuzuka looked up at her frowning "I don't think she smells nice."

Hinata raised an eyebrow. Absently smelling her jacket, it smelled clean to her, then again her ability to smell wasn't as strong as his. She wondered what she smelt like.

"What do I smell like?" she asked him softly.

"Cheap perfume." Hinata blinked it was the Aburame, she frowned and glared at him, she hated the Aburame. She didn't smell like cheap perfume.

Kiba turned, Shino was usually a quiet person, and Hinata had spoken about ten times in the entire time they had been classmates, now they where teammates. Him and Akamaru where going to be doing all the talking.

"She doesn't smell like cheap perfume, she just smells strange." Hinata looked at the Inuzuka, trying to figure out if he was insulting her or defending her. She looked at the Uchiha who turned to face her.

"Hinata-chan, come here." She hesitated but walked a little faster to Itachi's side. They walk till they reach a training area, the final test. All three look at each other than at Itachi, there is something about him that makes them want to scream, _something's wrong with him! Run away now!_

Akamaru barked and the Inuzuka nodded. "We think you're a bad man."

1213

The first test was to stay alive; it was oblivious to them that Itachi didn't want a team. Maybe it was the fact that they where tied to rocks, shoulder deep in water, in rapidly moving freezing water. Kiba and Akamaru struggled against the ropes; Itachi had left, saying that he would return to collect their corpses.

Shino is the first one to get free; Kiba turns and yells something to Shino. She really can't hear them, the water is just above her chin and the rapids are actually moving faster, slashing water in her face. Her hands struggle against the ropes, her Byakugan activates than the water splashes against her face washing the Byakugan away.

Water and air mix in her lungs; she turns her head trying to see her teammates. Maybe Neji was wrong, maybe teammates weren't there to save you. Soon someone was pulling her up; her hands cling to that someone. The shore is nice it's dry, coughing the three of them lay there on the grass.

"He's a bad man, I hate him." Hinata looks at Kiba as he stares at her. Smiling, he was the one who dragged her to the shore. She smiled back, before coughing again. She hated being short.

"Thank you Inuzuka-san." He smiles wider at her. Soon Itachi is walking towards them, Akamaru growls again.

"You three aren't dead." There is disappointment in his voice. His eyes darken before it's gone and he's smiling again. "Hinata-chan, Kiba-kun and Shino-kun, you three are my new students. Get your bags packed and ready, we have a mission tomorrow. Hinata-chan, you'll be staying at the Uchiha compound." She blinks, unsure as to what is happening. "Your father has placed me as your guardian."

1415

People react two ways when they hear the name Uchiha Itachi, they either say his name with disgust or whisper it in fear that he'll suddenly appear and whisper in their ears "Surprise it's time to die." The ones that whisper are the ones that have met Itachi.

But, if you're his student you react in three different ways, if you're Hinata, you try your hardest to be unnoticed, if you're Shino you worship the ground Itachi walks on and if you're Kiba and Akamaru you silently pray to live too see another day.

This was their very first mission, some festival that they had to attend. Hinata and Shino where dressed up, they would wander around the festival while Kiba and Itachi where wandering the rooftops. This was a mission for them tied into Itachi's Anbu mission. Shino would scowl at her every once in awhile, just because she was holding onto his sleeve. People pushed and bumped into them, there was laughter and yelling, the smell food, perfume and body odor burned at their noses. She moved a little closer to him, both hands now on his sleeve, it was hard for her to keep up with him in the kimono and geta shoes, she was clumsily. Finally Shino grabbed her by the wrist.

"We supposed to be blending in." they weren't, it was obvious to see that. Couples looked at them warily and others simply watched them whispering. Watching them, she was uncomfortable with the Aburame, and he hated her.

"You're walking to fast." Hinata whispered. He scowled again at her, she scowled back. He tugged at her wrist, occasionally looking at his sleeve, as if she would leave something behind. She barely heard it but she did, he had hissed that he kimono was too pink. She whispered back that his hair reminded her of a broom. He stopped, she collided hard against his back, and if it weren't for the hand on her wrist she would have fallen.

She felt it too murderous intent. Her Byakugan activated, Kiba and Itachi where already moving towards the source, Itachi and Kiba where to find and bring back some scroll an enemy nin had stolen, Shino and Hinata where to complete their easier mission, find the pick pocket that was apparently terrorizing people at the festivals.

"We still have our mission." Hinata nodded. He started dragging her again, she glared at his back, and he was making it hard for her. "Keep up."

In her head she was lighting his back on fire, and rolling him on really sharp glass. Then Shino turned, stopping once again she bumped into him, this time his shoulder. She let out a yelp, his elbow hit in between her breasts. Shino's bug moved wrapping around someone's wrist. Hinata blinked, the pick pocket was a little child. An eight year old child, she blinked seeing herself screaming as Hanabi's mother locket her in the closet for embarrassing her in front of the other clans, embarrassed Hanabi in front of the clans.

"Hinata!" she blinked, Shino had released her wrist, she was holding his, telling the child to run. His bugs where wrapping around her wrists. The child nodded running fading into the crowd. Shino pulled himself out of her grasp, taking off after the child.

She stood there in the crowd, turning to stare at the fireworks.

1617

His hands where on her neck, she was staring up at him, fear in her eyes, the closer he moved the sharper his reflection in that glass glaze became. He had her pinned to her bed, all she had to do was scream and Sasuke would come running to check on his new best friend. Only she would never scream, not for him.

"What is your purpose?" she stared at him, her pulse racing as he added more pressure to her neck. "Hinata-chan, answer me."

In his black eyes she could see herself, and in her pale eyes he was staring at his own reflection.

"I want to make them all pay, for her, for killing her." she hissed softly. He smiled at her, releasing her neck. "I want them dead." He lay beside her, she was reminded of her cousin, until she moved closer, he was warm, he was yielding. Her hands tightened around his shirt. Closing her eyes she smiled, whispering into his shirt. "Mother."

Itachi looked at her; she had fallen asleep leaving him to stare at the ceiling. His hand stroking her hair, Sasuke liked her. She didn't seem to be interested in his little brother, she wanted to go home. She had asked him if he would allow her to sleep at the Hyuuga compound, he had refused and when no one was there she had reacted. Throwing a cup at his head, he caught the cup and glared at her. Before he dragged her kicking and screaming, well he muffled her screams.

So he slept in her room, playing the part that her cousin did. Neji would walk her home occasionally, glaring at Sasuke when he would meet them halfway and walk with them.

The Hyuuga was starting to cling to him, using him to replace her mother.

Hinata opened her eyes when Itachi stared to leave the bed. "Be nice to Sasuke." She blinked staring at him "we'll need him later on." She nodded; he looked over his shoulder she nodded as he left her alone in the bed, sliding the door closed. He wanted her to be nice to Sasuke, she frowned. Sasuke was strange; he liked watching her and following her, talking to her.

She attempted to fall back asleep until the door slid open again, Sasuke she stared at him he was wide awake. He jumped on to her bed smiling at her.

"Hey Hinata." she sat up staring at him, wondering if her bunny two piece was making her look less intimating than she wanted. "I don't have training today I thought we could hang out and do something, there's a movie we could watch." She stared at him, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes.

"_Be nice to Sasuke." _

She smiled at him and nodded. She didn't know why Itachi would need Sasuke, he wasn't anything special. Itachi knew best.

"Wait till I tell you about my first mission, it turned into an A class mission." She smiled at him, wondering why she hated his bright eyes and smile. For a brief second she imagined what he would look like after Itachi was through with him.


	29. Sinnerman Part II

Chapter 29: Sinnerman Part II

"_Don't you see me down here praying---Go to the devil the lord said, --So I ran to the devil, he was waiting—please hide me lord –Sinnerman ought to be praying—Lord Lord hear me praying—Oughta be praying all on that day." _

_--- Nina Simone –_** Sinnerman**

Pale arms pulled him down, pale lips brushed against his.

Sasuke wanted to close his eyes but there was something there, something in her eyes, those pale expressionless eyes. Something he had never seen before, before he could analyze it, the expression was gone.

"Hinata." Sasuke whispered as he opened his eyes, her lips moved in soft caresses against his cheek. "I love you." He whispered, waiting for her to respond, doll eyes stared at him, reading him, before those pale lips smiled sweetly at him, and whispered "I know." He wondered if she was to shy to admit that she loved him too.

……….

She laughed, pale fingers curling around her painted mouth.

He smiled at her, his heart swelling with pride that he had made her laugh. She rested her head on his shoulder as she laughed. Her kimono sleeves brushed against his arms, he had helped her escape from the Hyuuga compound, apparently it was her sister's birthday. His eyes returned to her painted mouth, he wanted to kiss her. Pale fingers tips traced his lips; a soft blush lingered on pale skin, soft skin he had thought about. He leaned in to kiss her. Their lips pressed against each others, unsure what to do next. Sasuke had read each one of the books Kakashi told him he had to read, but this wasn't like his little day dreams where she would kiss him and then tell him he needed to throw the trash.

When his lips left hers, he stared at her lips as his fingers pressed against his own. He had kissed her, she blushed and looked down at her knees, as Sasuke took one of her hands in his and smiled.

She leaned close to him, her lips brushed against his ear as she whispered "I like you too." Sasuke blushed bright red, even as she laughed again.

…………………………….

"Kakashi-sensai, how do you know if a girl likes you or not?" Sasuke asked suddenly, surprising his teammates and teacher, well maybe not Kakashi. He had a knack for knowing what his students where up to and he had heard that Sasuke might, maybe, could have a crush on Hinata. Though the mere fact that she was Itachi's favorite made Kakashi want to sit Sasuke down and explain that this would not end well.

"What did Hinata do?" Sasuke blushed and looked down; apparently hoping that no one would know who it was that he was talking about.

"She kissed me on the cheek." Sasuke whispered his blush growing as his teammates stared at her. "But, when I kissed her on the lips, she looked surprised and hurt." Sasuke's blushed faded as the boy's facial features returned to confused and hurt. "She's avoiding me." He finished. Kakashi looked at his student, unsure what to tell his student.

"Talk to your brother." Sakura answered still upset that Sasuke had not chosen her. Her green eyes stared at the floor, uncaring that she was appearing to be less than ninja quality at the moment. "She is his favorite after all." Sasuke blinked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked. Naruto looked at Sakura and frowned, he knew what Sakura was talking about, but Sasuke was his friend and he had even spent the night at the Uchiha compound. "Ask Naruto he saw her go into Itachi's room in the middle of the night." Sakura claimed looking at Naruto to back her up. Sasuke looked at Naruto who looked sheepishly at the floor.

…………………………

Sasuke watched as Neji walked with Hinata. She was frowning; obviously she was annoyed with her cousin, who swore that he was only looking out for her best interest. Sasuke shook his head; Neji might as well have been Kiba. Sure Hinata told him over and over that Kiba was simply an over protective teammate that acted like a puppy but there was nothing there. He didn't believe her; she had let out a cry of frustration and stormed out of her own room, going to Itachi's, to let him explain. All Itachi had said was, "s Kiba the one with the glasses?" that had Hinata laughing Sasuke didn't know why, but she had laughed.

Needless to say Sasuke was not amused, first his own father had warned Sasuke not to follow in Itachi's footstep and stay away from Hinata, his mother had simply told him to be careful, before she had yelled at Itachi for once again bringing a half dead Hinata home.

Neji was apparently frantic at whatever it was he was telling Hinata, he wished he could hear them, if he got any closer he would be noticed, Hinata hated it when he eavesdropped, he didn't like her being upset, especially at him. He never understood what the connection between Neji and Hinata was, and she never offered any details. He watched as Hinata pulled her hand away from Neji telling him something that upset the Hyuuga genius. Sasuke's eyes turned red when Neji pinned Hinata against the tree, Byakugan and Byakugan met for a second before Hinata turned and said something, looking in Sasuke's direction. Neji frowned and nodded before he left, Sasuke watched as she walked to the Uchiha compound, he turned and ran determined that he would not be caught watching her.

It was later in her bedroom that he made her promise that she would never leave, she promised even when they both knew it was an impossible promise to keep.

…………….

Sasuke hated Itachi; sure it began as the usual sibling hate. Than gradually it became something more, it was the hate of a rival and than the hate of a man. Sasuke stared at his hands wondering how he had been able to actually win against Itachi. Sure Sasuke had the surprise factor; he had attacked his brother during dinner.

"Sasuke." He looked up at his mother. "Are you alright?" she asked him softly. Sasuke shook his head; his mother sighed and sat down beside him.

"I hate him." Sasuke hissed. His mother stroked his hair, pulling him into a hug. "I hate him and Neji!" Sasuke felt the familiar sting of tears in his eyes before he started to cry. "I hate them!!" his mother said nothing only held him as he cried.

………….

"Did you hear?" Sasuke looked over his shoulder there was Lee and Tenten waiting in line for some movie, he frowned and moved closer listening. "Neji's been promoted to Anbu." Lee looked at Tenten and nodded. "It is sad; he doesn't want to leave his wife alone, he's always afraid that she's going to leave." Tenten nodded and leaned in closer to Lee. "He thinks she's the spy for the Akatsuki, fact is he caught her sneaking out to meet Itachi, she's having an affair with Itachi." Lee covered his mouth with his hand. Tenten nodded.

"She was using Sasuke as her cover, so no one would suspect Itachi." Sasuke walked away, he knew one person would have the truth on this matter.

Kiba opened the door , when his mother had said Sasuke was there, Kiba had expected some sort of fight but instead here was Sasuke looking like Akamaru when he had been left out in the rain for five hours.

"Is Hinata seeing Itachi?" Sasuke asked. "Is she cheating on me with Itachi?" Kiba blinked and looked around the area, before he motioned for Sasuke to follow him away from the Inuzuka compound and to the training. "Well!"

"Hinata isn't seeing Itachi if anything she wants him dead, Hinata isn't cheating on you because two are not dating anymore, she's married, remember to Neji." Sasuke frowned and looked at the Inuzuka. "What?"

"Is she seeing you?" Kiba blinked than burst out laughing. Sasuke frowned; it was like talking to Itachi but with red markings on his face. Kiba held up a hand for Sasuke to wait as he regained control of himself. "Inuzuka." Sasuke warned.

"No." Kiba stated sadly, "she told me that would never happen." Kiba sighed and forgot for a second who was staring at him wide eyed and fingers twitching. "She's married and she promised Neji that she would be the perfect wife, as for sneaking out to see Itachi, she told him that she would no longer be his student, she was no longer a nin or a medic nin, she was just Hinata Hyuuga." Kiba frowned. "Oh by the way, stay away from her, she told me that you've been stalking her." Sasuke glared and walked away, he was going to talk to Hinata.

Hinata looked up as the window in her shared room with Neji opened. She frowned what time was it 3 in the morning, why did everything happen at 3 in the morning. "Sasuke." She whispered, Sasuke entered her bedroom and kneeled beside her on her marital bed.

"What's wrong?" she asked him as he pulled her to him. He shook his head and laid down beside her, his head on her shoulder. "Sasuke, you shouldn't be here." He shook his head, before he met her gaze.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked her. "Do you want me to stop?" His lips where pressed against hers suddenly, uncaring that her hands pushed at him, that she wanted him to stop. He kissed her, his hands holding her shoulders down.

"Hinata!" Sasuke moved looking up at the shocked face of her husband. He looked at Hinata, finally hearing her sob. He backed up and left, hearing her sob, the hurt look in her eyes.

…………..

He followed her again, she was with Kiba talking about herbs and charka points, Kiba looked about ready to fall asleep while walking. For a second he did, only to have Hinata pinch him and then laugh. Kiba blushed and looked at Hinata, apologizing that he wasn't the best of company. She just shook her head, and looked away.

Sasuke leaned in a little closer, uncaring that she might be aware that he was there. "What's wrong?" Kiba asked her, entwining his fingers with hers. She let out a sigh, "is it Sasuke? If you want I'll…" she shook her head suddenly hugging her ex teammate as she broke down in tears. "What did he do?" Kiba asked. "Did he hurt you?"

"I love him." she whispered between sobs. "I can't stop loving him." Sasuke smiled from where he stood and walked away.

……………

Hinata shook as he dropped the body on the ground before her, he smiled at her. "Itachi is dead; I killed him just like you said I would." She brought her knees to her chest, trying to create some sort of barrier around her, a barrier against him. "Isn't this what you wanted?" he asked her as he stepped over his brother's body. "You're free now, he can't use you anymore." Sasuke kneeled beside Hinata and smiled, "Come with me." He held out his hand, "What happened to you? What made you like this!?" she asked now staring at his hand.

"you." He answered. He blinked and backed away when she stared laughing, as if he had told her the best of jokes. She looked at the silent corpse of his brother and smiled.

"Now he doesn't lack hate." She stood. Placing her hands on his shoulders and smiling that smile that Itachi had always seemed to save for her. Sasuke recoiled from her touch, seeing what Kiba had once saw, Hinata was becoming Itachi. "You will be perfect." She whispered. "I promise."


	30. Sleeping and Dreams

Chapter 30: Nursery Rhymes

_Humpty dumpty sat on a wall_

_Humpty dumpty had a great fall_

_And all the kings horses and all the kings men_

_Couldn't put humpty dumpty together again_

_ ………………….. __Unknown__ since childhood._

Everything has a breaking point.

That was what Itachi had said, some long faded almost forgotten time ago. Time was making him crazy, or maybe it was simply him realizing that he had reached his own breaking point. He didn't know. All he knew were the words of a dead man, echoing over and over in his head. His hands clutched the sheets around him as his mind fought to gain some control over what was real, imaginary and the past.

The past, his past or that Kiba's past. Who was he, his mind was falling apart. Going deeper and deeper into this numb void where everything was twisted and all that seemed clear was Itachi and his words, repeated over and over. Sometimes his teammates visited in that void.

His other teammates, the Shino and Hinata that Itachi had created. They visited him, sometimes in memories or dreams. Shino remained silent as if waiting for some sign, or moment to finally speak. Hinata sat beside him, whispering words he could not make out. She would look at him and smile that sweet shy smile he remembered before Itachi started taking her on his solo missions.

Kiba twisted on the bed, bones cracking and muscles twitching. He snarled as the pain in his head seemed to spread, moving in trebling waves down his spine. Whispering the same words, louder and louder, "Everyone has a breaking point." Till it was a scream, echoing in his head bouncing off his bones, twisting and turning to embed themselves in his organ, his soul. The part of him that he had kept untouched, the part of him he had salvaged from the parasite that was then, the past Kiba.

"Are you suffering?"

Kiba twisted his neck, searching for the source of the voice.

"You can end this now."

His eyes widened as charka pushed itself into his veins, sharpening the quality of his vision, hearing and smell. Sharpening and leaving him drowning in the sensory overloads he was not stable enough to filter out.

"All it takes is one sentence, one little insignificant sentence and all of this can stop."

Shadows moved and blurred, sounds melded and blended, smells twisted and faded. He snapped his jaws as the pain and the madness increased, rising into screams and throbbing, blood he smelly blood his own blood dripping from his tear ducts and nostrils, whispering from his ear onto the pillow. He had the feeling he was going to explode, the screams where killing him.

"Tell me you surrender."

That voice, his voice taunting him.

"Kiba-kun."

"Kiba."

His teammate's voices whispering in his ear. He turned in the direction their voices had echoed, finding nothing, not even their faded smell.

"Everything has a breaking point."

His voice repeated in the same tone Itachi used. His eyes rolled in the back of head, his bones locked and muscles strained then tightened, he was going to break, he was going to shatter, he was going to lose his mind.

Then there was silence.

………………..

**Alternate World**

Water dripped on his forehead.

Cold water dripped between his eyes.

Each drop was louder than the last, was the water screaming or was that him?

Someone was screaming, the screams growing louder.

His eyes opened, he had fallen asleep under a tree. His entire body hurt and begged for him to remain still but he moved, dragging himself into a sitting position. His eyes searched for something, something or one that was laying two feet away from him. A hoarse sigh of relief left his lips.

He had upset Itachi again. Questioned the greats words of wisdom, questioned the great Itachi. Kiba let out a tense laugh.

"You are an idiot." Hinata whispered from where she lay. Kiba laughed a little harder at her amused tone.

"How long was I out?" Kiba asked, slightly worried that all the times Itachi had trapped him in illusions was starting to harm his brain.

"Three hours." She answered as she sat up and smiled. "Three hours of you screaming and twitching." Her smiled disappeared as she studied him. "What does he make you see?"

"I don't remember." Kiba answered honestly. He never remembered the hells Itachi sent him to, he just knew that when he woke up he hurt, he hurt a lot. "So you stayed with me huh?" She nodded and looked away from him. "Thanks."

"Shino says you're suicidal…but...I just think you're an idiot." She sighed and combed her hair with her fingers. "A giant idiot." She repeated annoyed that she had been worried for his safety.

"Why aren't you with Sasuke?" he asked annoyed that she was upset.

"Because, someone had to stay with you." She snapped.

He glared at her before he looked away, now upset that she was upset. "No one asked you to." He whispered. She sighed and played with some grass, she had sent Akamaru home with the knowledge that she would stay with Kiba, a muscle in her jaw jumped. He was right no one had asked her to stay; she had chosen to sit with him and talk to him as he twitched, comfort him as he screamed.

"Can you walk?"

"Everyone has a breaking point." Kiba repeated. "It's just a matter of finding it."

"Kiba-kun."

"Even Itachi has one, and I will find it." Kiba whispered.

His eyes widened as she hugged him. "Stop it." She whispered. "Just give up and it can stop, all of this can stop. Just stop fighting him, once you do you can stop suffering, you can end this." She whispered, he said nothing; he couldn't surrender not until Itachi was gone, not until he felt that he and everyone around him was safe.

**Present time, Sasuke and Hinata's room, night**

"Everyone has a breaking point." Sasuke turned and stared at Hinata. She was talking to herself as she stared at the tea cup in her hand.

"Hinata?" Sasuke asked hoping that she was simply sleepwalking and talking. She was facing the door to the bedroom; he stood and walked over to her. "Hinata." he repeated.

She turned to face him, the tea cup falling to the ground and shattering at her feet.

"Hinata?" he repeated a little louder.

"Do you still lack hate?" with that Sasuke froze, he wasn't talking to Hinata now, he was talking to someone else, someone he had hoped he never had to deal with.


	31. Teacher's Pet I

Chapter 31: Teachers Pet

**Alternative World: Team 8**

Training missions for team 8 were always different than those of other teams. Maybe it was because Itachi was their instructor, or that Shino had little tolerance for anyone other than himself. Whatever it was Kiba had narrowed it down to a list.

Itachi hated them and wanted them dead.

Shino hated him and Hinata and wanted them dead.

Hinata was slowly becoming like Itachi and was probably planning their deaths.

God hated him.

The Hokeage in front of them told Itachi that unless all three of his students were dead, he was not going to relinquish his title as their instructor.

For some reason Kiba was willing to bet money on reason 5.

Other teams went on training missions to get better and develop a stronger bond. Team 8 went on training missions to be test subjects or targets for Itachi. Needless to say this month would not be a good one; at least he got along with one of his teammates.

123

Aburame Shino was not amused; he had no reason to ever be. Especially with the circumstance at the moment. His teammate, whom he swore was sleeping with Itachi, was here. Itachi had told her to personally see to it that Shino was able to go on this training mission. He stared at her as she smiled, that plastic doll smile, he had to resist the urge to slap her.

"Itachi sent you, to accompany me." Shino stated.

"Yes." She answered her smile not even slipping.

Shino dreaded these missions; training missions were Itachi's excuse to torture and accidentally remove them. Though Shino felt safe in the knowledge that Itachi was smart enough to realize that killing the heir or the third most powerful clan in the leaf was suicide, Itachi was still psychotic enough to attempt and claim it was an "accident".

"Where does Itachi wish to kill us this time?" Shino asked the safe member of the team, Itachi wouldn't kill her, but that didn't mean she couldn't have accidents.

"Rain." She answered.

Shino noticed it, her smile slipped slightly. Something was different with this mission.

"Hinata." he inquired.

She said nothing, only smiled, that plastic doll smile. This mission was defiantly going to be different, maybe someone was not even going to be coming back from it.

If he was a betting man, he'd place his money on Kiba dying sometime in the mission. Instead he simply allowed the Hyuuga in and let her follow him to his room.

Hinata waited patiently, she knew this mission was different. This time, the Akatsuki would be there too, only her teammates would never see them. She scratched at her hand again, the new seal she had placed on her self, at Itachi's request, itched.

"Why are you scratching your hand?" Shino asked her.

"It itches." She answered.

Her scratching was going to irritate him. He stood going over to her. "Plant or bug?" he inquired, taking a look at her hand. The palm of her right hand was slightly discolored; this was not a bug bite, probably not even a reaction to a plant.

"Seals?" he inquired.

She looked down, and nodded. His hand was still holding hers. "What is this mission about Hinata, Itachi already informed you, didn't he." She looked up at him, even if she knew something she wouldn't tell. They both knew it. He released her hand, before he turned around and resumed packing.

"You moved back in to the compound." Hinata blinked, Shino was attempting to start a conversation with her.

"Yes, I'm engaged to Neji." She replied.

"Still seeing Sasuke too, not exactly loyal are you." Hinata frowned; Shino was going to start in on something, probably a lecture. "Loyalty is something you have always lacked, isn't it Hyuuga." Hinata rolled her eyes, knowing Shino was probably still watching her. "Loyalty is something that a teammate should never lack, if it is, lacking, than how can you expect a teammate to trust you. Or accept working with you." He turned to look at her again, she was staring at him. Waiting for him to continue, she even motioned for him too. "Do not mock me, you are a liability to this team, you and Itachi can not be trusted."

"Maybe." Hinata answered. "You can't be trusted either, you admire Itachi, you hate me and Kiba, you want to be a one person team, correct."

Shino glared at her and she only smiled in return.

"I suppose you already know who Itachi might accidentally kill on this mission." Shino questioned.

"No." she answered, this was the truth. She wasn't even sure why Itachi had her escort Shino. "I don't want to go on this mission." She whispered. "Something seems wrong about it."

Shino stared at her before he nodded in agreement.

"What do you suggest Hyuuga?" Shino wondered.

"Remove Itachi, before he tries to remove us." She answered.

Shino was slightly surprised, Itachi's little pet was turning against him. For a moment Shino wondered exactly what Itachi had been doing to her. Instead he let that idea drop; he wanted to learn more of this remove Itachi plan.

"How." He questioned, now giving her his full attention.

"I haven't figured that out yet." she looked away as she answered.

"I see." Was his response.

………….

Kiba walked to the gate, this was starting to annoy him. He couldn't smell either of his teammates, so he was the first one at the meeting spot. That was just wrong. So kiba stopped walking, he needed to find his teammates first, then regroup.

"Why do we even have training missions!" Kiba whined to Akamaru. Akamaru barked back his response. "That's insane, why can't the four of us go on a mission without Itachi, god, I hate Itachi." Kiba whined again. Akamaru didn't disagree he hated the Uchiha too.

He hated him more, than La Femme Nikita reruns.

"Man! This sucks!" Kiba yelled in frustration.

"What sucks?" Shino asked.

Kiba blinked and then glared as he turned around before he freaked out. Hinata was walking with Shino, no rephrase that, Hinata was walking with Shino who was carrying both their backs while she seemed to be fixing her clothes…Oh tap dancing Hokeage on a snails butt, did Hinata and Shino.."NO! Damnit Hinata we've had this conversation before, just because Itachi tells you to seduce them doesn't mean you gotta!"

Shino, Hinata and Akamaru stared at Kiba.

"Seduce Shino...what?" was the confused reply of HInata.

"Excuse me, I will not have another mans leavings." Was Shino angered reply.

"Good job, now it sucks to be you." Was Akamaru's annoyed statement.

"So you two, weren't, you know." Kiba asked.

"No."

"Never!"

"Oh, then um, great to see you guys getting along." Kiba quickly replied, hoping to save his ass.

It did, because now, Shino and Hinata disliked/hated Kiba. Both simply walked past him, taking bets that it was going to be Kiba, who would no doubt die.

……..

"What's your problem now?" Naruto asked Sasuke, who was once again brooding in the corner of his room.

"Hinata's going on another mission." Sakura answered; annoyed that Sasuke was taken by a soon to be married Hyuuga.

Sasuke ignored them; Hinata had not wanted to go on the mission.

**Flashback..dum..dum..dum**

"_Another mission?" Sasuke asked as he pulled on his shirt. "You already went on one last week; it's almost as if, Itachi's purposely removing you from here." Hinata said nothing only pulled back on her pants. _

"_This time, all the team is going, something is wrong." She whispered more to herself than him. _

"_Hinata." he pleaded. _

"_I don't know anymore." She sat back down on his bed, staring at her hands. "I can't do this." _

"_Do what?" there was a note of panic, both caught it. _

_She shook her head, and continued to get dressed. "I have to get Shino; I'll see you when I get back." With that she was gone. _

**End Flashback**

What was it that she couldn't do anymore?

Did she mean that she could no longer see him, was Neji forcing her to give him up.

Itachi had been taking her on more and more missions, was she choosing his brother over him, or was simply no longer in love with him.

"My head hurts." Sasuke said out loud, his head did hurt due to all this worry. She was on some mission for who knew how long, it was easier when they where children.

456

"Neji has requested the wedding at an earlier date." Shino inquired.

Hinata nodded as they waited at the gates. "This is my last mission." Kiba looked at her.

"Last mission." Hinata nodded at Kiba's question. She would not allow herself to be Itachi's puppet anymore. The seal still itched, but she needed to do this. She had to choose life as his pet in a cage, or a life imprisoned within the walls of a compound that found her repulsive.

"I am not his pet, any longer." She whispered.

Silence returned to the team, as they noticed Itachi walking towards them.


	32. Teacher's Pet II

Chapter 32

……..

Fate was a cruel master.

Fate had decided even before the ink was dry on their birth certificates on what each of them would do. No matter how hard they struggled against its grasp, it held firm. Merely waiting for the moment when they collapsed fully and willingly into its winter warmth embrace.

Once they had, they simply followed fates biding, preparing for their part in a story that seemed to have no particularly happy ending in store.

At the moment fate had decided that tonight, the night when three would begin a plan that fate itself had started the moment Itachi was born to add a storm into the mix.

A storm that had even those born and breed in the rain, wondering what it was they were seeing, and leaving four separated from Itachi in a dim lit room at an Inn.

123

Every three minutes Kiba glanced out the open window. A storm was coming, a small part of it had peaked out at them, taunting them with the, was to come. This storm was going to cause so many complications that he would on a normal occasion never wish to deal with; one was waiting in a strange place with shino.

"It's not letting up." Kiba once again informed his teammates who were no longer listening to him. Hinata had drifted off, and Shino was meditation on the current situation and the solutions. Kiba looked at them, whatever they decided he would stand with them. In a way he had no choice, ever since the team had been created they needed each other to survive. Alone they stood no chance of survival against him, but together…together..the chances were better.

They had to be.

123

In her sleep she pulled the covers closer to her shivering form.

She shivered not from the cold but the nightmares that plagued her. New and old ones seemed to merge together setting off come chain reaction in her head. Luring her deeper and deeper in the endless void that she did not want to exist in.

This darkness was nothing new to her; she had learned how to exist in the light and the dark. To wear more than one face to lure or shield herself from the prey and predator, she had to. She was her mother's daughter.

Her mother's daughter, it was something she had never understood.

Duty and revenge, love and compassion, so many other emotions and things she had forced herself to emit and copy. Another shiver racked her frame, soon death would approach her.

Death, everyone faced it. She knew it existed and she had prepared herself to accept it. Yet now, she didn't want to, she had found a brief escape, she had tasted freedom outside the boundaries all placed on her. She wanted to live, just once. To be free, to no longer sing for her masters and their audience.

"It's going to be alright."

The voice whispered close to her, she turned her head slowly to the source.

"Don't give in, I promise, I will protect you."

Such idiotic promises, some part of her conscious whispered. Words uttered with no meaning, a waste of breath. Another shiver tore at her, seals she had preformed and skin she had healed seemed to resurface.

"Hinata."

She opened her pale eyes, for a moment not quite sure where she was.

"It's okay."

Kiba, she blinked once more. Pushing back the anger and rage that flared up suddenly. "Kiba-kun?" she whispered slightly unsure, he only nodded at her.

"You where starting to claw at yourself." As he spoke he indicated to her wrist, red thin lines around her once unblemished skin.

123

Shino had been jolted out of his meditation.

He had heard her whimper suddenly, then he felt it rage, cold murderous rage had emitted from her. His teammate was not mentally stable; he had learned that while he spoke to her. Watched her adjust to what he needed to see, all to ensure she remained unseen.

Now there was an alliance to be formed, among him and Hinata.

He knew Kiba would follow them, no matter the consequences. The consequences weighted heavily on his mind. Shino had very little concept as to Itachi's limitations. Hinata would have a vague notion, but would it be enough.

"Let her be." Shino commanded Kiba.

123

Shino was telling him what to do again.

Kiba ignored his teammate and continued to administer first aid to her wrist.

"What were you dreaming about?" he asked her.

"I don't remember." She whispered still staring at her wrist as he bandaged it. "You don't have to..."

He shook his head then smiled at her, she smiled back. She was just being polite to him. His smile faded slightly till he simply stared at the slightly bad bandaging job he had done.

"I can redo it." Kiba informed her; slightly ashamed he couldn't do this right. Hinata and shino could both bandage very well and him…it was like an origami bomb had exploded on her wrist.

She shook her head and simply looked at shino who felt her gaze and finally met hers.

"Is there something that you wanted?" shino asked. "Or is there something that you wish to share."

She shook her head and laid back down on the bed mat, her wrist cradled in her hand. This mission was a cover; she knew it and they suspected it. This was a meeting of some sort, a meeting about the tails and something else. She closed her eyes; whoever held the tails controlled the world.

123……

Control….

Control of the world,

Domination...nothing to fear ever again.

Neji looked at his cousin as she packed for the mission. She was a whisper in her sleep and the words she had whispered had shocked him and confused him.

"control." He repeated to her. She hesitated and looked up at him; there was a look that passed her face. A look of almost rage, he held her gaze. Wondering what it was that his cousin had been suffering from. He was supposed to protect her and he had failed her. "Say something."

She looked back at her pack. "Say something Hinata." her gaze never left the pack.

He had promised to protect her and he couldn't even stop them from taking her away. One month on a mission and when he returned, she had been gone. He had fought so hard for her to be returned to the compound, to be somewhere safe.

"Then look at me." He commanded.

She looked up at him, no expression on her face. "This is my last mission."

"Last mission." he repeated. "After this mission, you will remain here?"

"I will never leave the compound." Alive or dead she mentally added to herself. Unknowing that Neji had added that statement too.

…..**Present Time**……

_You no longer lack hate_

Sasuke stared at her, his breath catching in his throat. She smiled at him, a cold smile that nipped at his soul. He had never believed in monsters till he learned what she had always been. Shino had tried to warn him, pulled him aside and hissed he cut all ties with her, she wasn't what she seemed. Even Itachi had been wary of her, keeping her on a short leash till one day she got loose.

"Hinata..." Sasuke whispered.

"You look so scared, so pathetic." She held out her hand to him. "Shall I kiss it better?"

_Shino had stood in the doorway, looking as usual the bearer of some insulting news. "She's leaving with me." Sasuke had snapped, believing the Aburame heir to be here to persuade Sasuke to leaving Hinata in the leaf. _

"_By all means take her; I am merely here to warn you." The Aburame had answered emotionless. At Sasuke's confused expression shino had simply carried on. "Hinata is not what she appears to be and __**you**__ are not prepared for one such as her." _

_Sasuke glared at him. "What?!"_

"_Hinata…Hinata...she…." shino paused then shook his head. "Perhaps one should learn on their own, though I will thank you for completing the mission Hinata and I had devised." With that shino had simply walked away leaving Sasuke to stare at him. _

"_What mission?" Sasuke asked. _

"_The one to kill Itachi." Shino has answered as he walked away. _

"Hinata….I thought…" Sasuke couldn't find the words to express to his horror.

"Did I ever thank you for killing Itachi...he was the last thing standing in my way." She smiled a little wider her eyes catching his in her stare.

"Why do you still exist, this is our second chance...one were…" Sasuke started.

"One were I'm not what…" there was a pause as she winched slightly.

"_GET OUT OF MY BODY!!" _Hinata winced, that voice was screaming in her head.

…..

Kiba opened his eyes.

There was a strange feeling of relief and calm that seemed to fill him. He stared at the ceiling wondering what it was he was to do. He had wondered why he kept on thinking about seeing Hinata, but he couldn't really see Hinata as the girl in this time or the girl she had pretended to be in that other time. He saw her as the confused deliver of her mother's revenge. Someone that he had never wanted to believe existed.

The wind picked up slightly, he needed to see her and make sure that she, like he hadn't made it through.

He ran a hand through his hair, this timeline was different. There were small changes and rather significant ones but everything seemed to be the same.

"You're always so emotional." A voice that sounded strangely like Hinata's whispered. There was no one in the room so he chalked it up to some small parts of him that hadn't merged with his present form. "Shino says that will be your downfall." He smiled at that, it had been his downfall. He had died, trying to save her, even when he knew what she had always been.

"I was correct." Kiba closed his eyes, shino's voice.

"That's what I really fucking need to hear right now...shino lecturing me." Kiba whined.

"If not I than whom, Hinata or perhapse Itachi." There was a slight tone of amusement in his voice. "Wait...Itachi is dead and Hinata is not one to take any form of advice from." Kiba smiled slightly at Shino's form of humor.

"I don't know what to do...this time...Hinata's not like that anymore." Kiba reminded himself.

"Can you be sure." Shino asked. "We are here to help; at least that is why you created us." Kiba blinked. "To ease the transition, the guilt...etc…" shino continued.

….**Alternate….**

Kiba and Akamaru had disappeared sometime ago, saying something about last minute provisions, leaving both Hinata and Shino alone.

Both were quite unwilling to end the silence that had developed and softly lured them into comfort. Yet, each knew this would be the only chance either had to speak, for once Kiba entered the room. This chance was never more.

"This is something best kept among ourselves." Shino replied to his teammate that was now taking Kiba's place at the window.

"Yes, that is best." She answered her eyes searching for Kiba's return.

"Then be honest with me Hyuuga." Shino stated.

"Itachi greatest weakness is his love for his family, especially his younger brother." Hinata smiled slightly. "I can't see why he loves him more than me."

"Perhaps he is not blind to what you are." Shino answered. She glanced at him before returning her attention to the window. "Though I will slightly mourn at your death." Shino stared at her.

"Itachi will die long before I do…but how…"she whispered.

"There is a way to kill him...without him exploiting your or my weakness...I assumed it be you not I whom intended this to occur...yet...we allow Sasuke to kill him." at that statement, Hinata allowed him a once in a lifetime opportunity, a chance to see a real smile on her corpse white face. "Then so be it."


	33. Friendship and Fiction

Chapter 33

Friendship and Fiction

…………………..

He was a beautiful puppet.

She knew exactly which strings to pull to make him dance.

It wasn't that hard, originally she was Sasuke's protector. That was the role that Itachi had placed her in. She had been jealous of the love Itachi had for Sasuke, she knew that Itachi was using her to ensure Sasuke was safe. Everything she learned, everything she did was so when _**He**_ came after Sasuke, Hinata would be able to stop him. And Sasuke would forever be safe, free form the scent of blood that covered her and Itachi.

But she had betrayed Itachi.

She knew some part of her would forever feel that pain of loss.

Yet, she had still gone through with it-it was easy too. Itachi had unknowingly seen to that. His need to see his team and brother strong had created hatred on those he had some form of protection for.

She had enlisted Shino's help to give Sasuke that one last push.

_Itachi stared up at her as she walked towards him. She had smiled softly at him, letting him see that she still was human. Sasuke was on the floor recovering from the fight he had just waged with his brother. When she was close enough to kneel beside him she leaned over him. Her face barely above him. _

"_I'll take care of him Itachi." She whispered to him as he stroked his face. "Aren't you proud how well I've been taking care of him?" Itachi only stared at her, with dimming eyes. _

"_Hinata." Itachi whispered. "He'll se…." she smiled as she slammed a palm full of charka against Itachi's chest. _

"_You should have loved me, now...I'll destroy him." she whispered, knowing he heard her. His last moments were knowing that she was going to destroy the one thing that Itachi loved above all else. _

She had felt something after she killed him, she had cried briefly. Till Sasuke had recovered, she had cried. Then she had taken him under her wing, he was going to be perfect.

…

Sasuke had believed he had a second chance, but it was here too. The monster that a sworn promise had created, this was Hinata, her mother's revenge in all her psychotic glory. He wanted to run away from her, and that smile. That pretty painted smile, a doll-that was what Shino had once compared her to.

"Don't you love me anymore?" she asked, her hands reaching out to him.

_Pale hands reached out to him. _

_He was hesitant to reach out for hers. She was changing right before his eyes, from that sweet innocent girl that needed his protection to this killer that wanted something he was unsure of. _

"_Don't you love me anymore?" she had asked him. _

"_I do." he whispered as he took her hands. Today he was taking his brothers place in the Akatsuki. The ring she had placed on his finger, the blood on it not even dry, felt so heavy. _

"_He loved you." She whispered against his ear as she hugged him. "We should cherish his memory, finish what he started." _

_Sasuke smiled. "I will." he was putty in her well trained hands. The Akatsuki even the higher ups were wary of her. _

"I do." he answered her.

She smiled that painted doll smile once more and walked towards him. "We can start over again, this time from scratch." She informed him.

"We can start over, the way we talked about." He replied back. "We can be happy."

She frowned at him, the way she usually did whenever he had said something she disagreed with.

……

"_We should visit little Hinata." _Shino whispered in his mind. _"It's been so long since we've seen her psychotic, I almost miss it." _Kiba rolled his eyes, he was feeling annoyed that he had Shino and Hinata in his brain. There was something wrong about them questioning him or ordering him around.

"_**Let him be, he'll figure out what he is supposed to do."**_ Hinata whispered. He smiled at that, understanding, even it had been fake. "Yeah, let's go check on Hinata." he agreed finally.

……

Elsewhere not a day away from the leaf, the Akatsuki was arriving. Itachi and Kisame walked in silence neither knew of the events that were occurring or the events that had happened in a world that was a reflection of their own. If they had neither would have dared to enter the leaf until one factor was taken out permanently.

……

Sasuke could kill her.

She knew that he was strong enough too; right now she wasn't strong enough to fight him. Especially with the turmoil in her head, the bitch was fighting her. This weak version of herself was fighting against her, demanding that she leave her body.

"_Get out of my head!!" _

Hinata clutched her head, the screaming was so loud. This little girl was tearing her apart, this was her second chance, and she would be dammed if she allowed this child to ruin it.

"_Give me back my body!" _

She frowned, this was her body now. All she needed to do was concentrate and then seal the girl away. Seal her deep into her subconscious. Then everything would be fine, and she would be fine.

"_I will stop you!!" _

"Try to." Hinata whispered coldly.

"Try to do what Hinata?" Hinata blinked as she looked up. There in her bedroom was Kiba a very knowing Kiba.

She smiled at him; he knew just like her that she remembered. "It's been so long hasn't it, since I've seen you alive." She stated happily, standing now to face him.

Kiba smiled and shook his head.

"_Psychotic still isn't she."_

"_**Don't let her touch you. We still don't know if she's friend or foe." **_

"Hell Hinata, it's been awhile hasn't it." He informed her, softly.

"It has hasn't it; our last goodbye was you taking a fatal hit for me." She touched his face with cold fingers. "This time, I'll protect you." He caught her hand in his.

"Hinata, you gotta listen to me." He whispered, "This world is different, and I won't let you change it."

"_Touching her is not exactly your strong point."_

She pulled her hand back, frowning. Hinata winced again the girl was screaming in her head again, screaming for the Inuzuka in front of her to help her, save her.

Kiba noticed it, she was struggling with something. Was it voices of the past, or fragments of what had been or was? He placed his hands on hers, moving her to look at him.

"Let's go for walk Hinata." he whispered to her.

……………….

Sasuke knew he had heard noises in their bedroom. He opened the door, ready to deal with whatever was going on. Instead he was greeted with an empty room, no Hinata or the other muffled voice.

……..


	34. Thicker Than Blood

Chapter 34: Thicker Than Water Part I

….

Bonds

It united and restrained them.

Whether it was by agreement, birth, emotion or common goal, this tie seemed un-severable.

On several occasion one or both had attempted to break the bonds, but the opposite reaction was the consequence. The bonds grew stronger and more severe.

…..

Atop the perimeter wall, two members of a well known and yet supposedly secret group stood. Observing the place they had yet to enter.

"Actually, you still miss your village don't you." The blue fish like member of Akatsuki asked his companion, with a cruel grin.

His companion spared him not even a glance, only a cool and emotionless reply. "The village is at the end of its prosperity…we shouldn't feel sorry for it..no..not at all."

The blue nin smiled slightly wider revealing rather sharp and pointy teeth, that were better to eat you with than simply smile.

"It's been a long time since your homecoming, what do you think? Lets stop by before we do our search." The blue nin replied nonchalantly.

"Yea. That sounds good." Itachi answered unknowing of the dangers that had resurfaced in the leaf.

………

History had the bad habit of repeating itself.

Though it wasn't history's fault, considering that no one seemed to want to learn from their mistakes. Simply choosing to repeat them on a different day with a different set of circumstances and wonder if maybe this time the outcome would be different.

Right now, it was looking very grim that anything except the order of deaths and events would be different.

Kiba was never a fan of history but he knew he needed to learn really quick. Presently he was walking with his teammate, not the self conscious Hyuuga that was forever hoping to be acknowledged by someone. This Hyuuga didn't need praise; she simply was the product of a mother's hate and a father's shame.

"You're hesitating."

Kiba blinked, he had been lost in thought. He hadn't noticed her staring at him waiting for him to speak. She smiled a coy smile and shook her head.

"You wanted to talk, and here we are." Her coy smiled faded into the grim line of un-amusement. "So talk."

"What are you planning to do?" he asked her harshly.

She raised an eyebrow at him, she was usually more patient with him, but her patience had been worn thin.

…….

Kakashi was loitering outside a sweets and tea shop; he had previously been walking the path of life, and had decided that life needed a rest. He would have stretched but he noticed something more entertaining than that, Kurenai and Asuma walking towards his direction.

"Hey you two…you guys look good together. Are you guys on a date?" Kakashi asked with no implications intended.

"Idiot!" annoyed and blushing Kurenai answered. "Anko asked me to pick up some sweets for her."

Asuma smiled, "What about you? What are you doing here? Picking up some sweets too?" the cigarette nin asked.

Kakashi might have smiled, "Not really..Sometimes I stop by to buy some stuff while I walk the path of life." He answered, apparently not aware of the strangely dressed nins that were seated in the shop.

The three nins looked at the strangely dressed nins, realizing quickly who they were and their motives for being in the leaf.

………..

Shards of broken cup were still on the floor. He assumed that she should at least pick up the pieces; it was not safe to leave the pieces. Instead he simply sat there, Hinata had left with someone, but she would be back.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this?" Sasuke said to the unspeaking and unhearing shards.

He had been hoping for a second chance, he wasn't going to make the same mistakes this time. This time he was prepared for any trick she played.

He was going to have his happy ending whether she was willing or not.

……

"Planning?" the Hyuuga asked in mock innocence. "I already accomplished everything I had set to, in fact now, I believe I'm just going to live my life."

At the look that crossed Kiba's face he was unsure whether he should believe her or not. "Live your life?" he repeated. "What life, yours or the person who you're currently possessing?"

"Does it matter?" she responded.

Kiba stared at her, he guessed it didn't he hadn't heard anything from the guy he was currently possessing, if he was possessing someone, actually he had no idea what was happening only that he had a wrong that needed to be righted.

"I don't want to stay with Sasuke, he depresses me." Hinata uttered suddenly.

There was a pause as he started to walk with her following.

………..

Kurenai and Asuma stood in the path blocking the two Akatsuki members that had decided to grace the leaf with their presence.

"It's been awhile..Asuma-san, Kurenai-san." Itachi said in a pleasant tone.

Asuma stared at the two with growing suspicion. "You're originally from this village aren't you? What did you come back for?"

Kisame glanced at Itachi. "So..You were a shinobi from this village?" The blue tinted nin looked at Kurenai and Asuma. "You already know of us…"

The four nins stared at each other, there was to be a battle it wasn't uncalled for. They all knew the main purpose for this visit, but there was always something else and with Sasuke finally returned to the village, having the Akatsuki here was suspicious.

"Hm..There's no doubt about it." Asuma stared as Itachi removed his hat, "Itachi Uchiha."

….

It was like old times, the two of them walking around the leaf. Simply because neither of them had anything to do or one was simply unwilling to go home.

"Well how does it to feel to have a Neji that resents you." At Kiba's question Hinata only smiled slightly. It was strange; a lot of things had been different including her.

"_Kiba-kun please, help me!!" _

Hinata winced once more, the screaming in her head belonged to this times girl. She was curious if maybe Kiba had been suffering from the same thing as she was. "Does the present you scream in your head?"

"_Apparently Hinata is still quite the psychotic one." _shino's voice whispered in Kiba's head. _"Shall we test her sanity?"_

"Sometimes, when I'm about to do something stupid." He answered.

"_This is the majority of the time." _ Shino answered.

Hinata nodded. This was unwelcome development; in fact she was unsure herself how she ended up possessing this form. It had been like a dream, she had opened her eyes and then she had been there, in this form.

Sasuke obviously remembered, was he the one that had done all this? She had no recollection of any scroll or secret technique that could allow one to travel through time or escape death, unless the givers life was forfeited.

"Kurenai!!"

Hinata and Kiba froze, that was the voice of Asuma, and from the sound of it. Something bad was happening or had.


	35. Thicker than Blood II

Chapter 36:

……….

Sasuke sat on the bed, trying to gain some form of comprehension on the situation. What he had believed he had succeeded in his goal of keeping and maintaining the life he had wanted, he was now very aware that while he and Kiba had somehow managed to be here, so had Hinata.

This information was not the most troubling. He was now ever more aware of the time changes and what could and would be altered in order for his desire to be realized. He had succeeded in gaining Hinata but now he needed to find a way to keep her firmly under his control.

There were also circumstances that were haunting him.

His brother was still a member of the Akatsuki, no doubt soon to be arriving for Naruto. Sasuke frowned, his brother…..

His brother had done so much for him had even helped create an illusion to keep Sasuke's attention away from his actions. That had been what Hinata was, Itachi's answer to Sasuke's protection.

"_He loved you more than me." Hinata informed him as she stared at him with such hate it forced an unconscious flinch from him. "He betrayed your clan, and the leaf, all for you." She looked away from him, to glance at the wounds he had inflicted, she was too weak to heal now, and at his hands she was approaching death. _

"_Hinata." He whispered as he approached her, she didn't even look in his direction as her eyes moved to her fallen teammate, arrived to save her. _

"_I think I loved him the most of all." She whispered softly._

_At her confession Sasuke glanced at her teammate. Kiba was sprawled on the floor, even in death he still felt hated for the dog nin. It was almost as if, Kiba was still laughing at him for having the upper hand once more. _

"_I love you." Sasuke confessed to her. _

_She looked at him, coldness darkening her pale eyes. "I never loved you, I never could." She smiled softly, death now asking for her company she made her final answer to him short. "I'd die before I considered to." _

_Sasuke stared at her till all life left her. "You will love me." He promised. _

This time he had gained her love, and with it a life, now it was being threatened.

"_Now you don't lack hate."_

There was an option for this, Sasuke started to prepare.

…………

Uchiha Itachi had played a very important part in shaping who they would and had become under his guidance. So it was without saying that both would reactions to seeing him again, even if he wasn't the one that either had interacted with.

For one, he had this uncontrollable urge to suddenly laugh. To simply laugh until tears poured down his face. This was a situation that was clearly insane to him. He had silently mourned Itachi when Sasuke had killed him, simply because without Itachi's continuous need to kill him, he wouldn't have achieved that level of skill he had been at. A level that presently he was no where approaching.

For the other it was something else. When she saw him all she could feel was this form of amusement, here was Itachi all dressed up and no idea where the ball was. It was amusing, especially since she knew everything behind his façade, and she was choosing at this moment to ensure he failed.

Kiba turned to look at Hinata, "Lets go, they can handle this." She whispered to Kiba while she turned to walk away. Kiba was a little shocked that she was walking away; he had expected her to at least want to stay and maybe play with Itachi for awhile.

"You're not going to…" he started before she interrupted him.

"Madara will get Sasuke, it's the right thing to do." she stated calmly.

Kiba blinked, he was not familiar with that name, and if she knew it-it was one that he had better learn quickly. "Wait, you're married to Sasuke remember!" He reminded her.

"I think we're going to be separated." She answered.

He stared at her; he really remembered her being in love with Sasuke. "Didn't you…You loved him...didn't you?"

She paused before she turned to look at him. _"CAN"T YOU SEE IT"S NOT ME!!" Hinata's inner voice screamed. _Hinata flinched; she was not enjoying this at all. The voice inside her head was now at screaming level, "I was incapable of it." she answered.

He stared at her, before he sighed.

Shino's voice laughed slightly in his head, this was behavior that was classic of Hinata. Kiba placed his hand on her shoulder; Hinata's voice was reminding him that physical contact with her was not his best choice of action.

………

Elsewhere, a strange occurrence was being witnessed. An animated corpse was walking around with the intention of gaining a very rare and quite valuable object, the cursed eyes of an Uchiha. He had assumed that the cursed eyes were Itachi's, which had proven false. Then he learned of another Uchiha, the younger brother of Itachi.

That was where this animated corpse was headed, to visit the younger Uchiha and if possible gain those precious eyes once more. Though he was certain that Itachi was doing all in his power to protect Sasuke, perhaps even ensuring the boy was under rigorous training, whatever it was, he was certain this was not an easy task he had assigned himself too.

…………..


	36. Before the Calm

**Chapter 36: Love and Loss**

…………….

Love is redemption

Love is sin

Love is destruction

Love is life

…..

**Alternate Universe**

_Then so be it_

With those words he and Hinata had sealed an agreement, one that was to solely remain between the two of them. He glanced at her; she was sitting beside Kiba, showing him once again how to wrap wounds.

_Kiba-kun will __**not**__ be a part of this_

He was slightly taken aback at her words, no, the meaning behind her words. She had made it clear that this was their mission.

It was their burden, not his, not the one she had been unconsciously protecting. With that in mind, Shino understood he had discovered her weakness and his advantage. He glanced away when he realized that she was now looking at him.

"_Madara." Shino repeated. _

_Hinata nodded, as she stared out the window, waiting for Kiba and Akamaru to return. _

"_He'll be going after Sasuke..." she turned now fully facing him; he raised an eyebrow at her. "And I'm the one who's supposed to protect Sasuke." She tilted her head in the same manner she would to Kiba when she'd fake embarrassment. _

…**Present**

"You loved him didn't you?" Kiba asked her again, she hadn't moved or spoken since he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"_I think I loved him the most of all." _

"You had to; all that stuff that happened…it wouldn't make sense to believe that you didn't." Kiba heard Shino laugh, the deep laugh he had only heard once. It wasn't a time that he had wanted to remember. "You didn't love him at all..."

Even if he didn't hear it, he felt her exhale the breath that she had been holding.

"I never did."

He wanted to pull his hand away, he wanted to walk away from her, but he couldn't. He had always believed that they were close, she wouldn't lie to him. It was that belief that kept him rooted there.

"Then, why?" he questioned.

"_Madness needs not a reason." _Shino answered Kiba.

"**Just go, don't put yourself through this..."** Hinata pleaded.

She simply placed her hand on his, as she shook her head. "Don't." she replied. "Get involved in this."

……..

He had the advantage.

He knew her limitations.

Compared to him, she was powerless.

She would have to return here, no doubt to face him with a bombardment of questions. Then attempt to harm him, though she couldn't. He did admit to himself, he would find her attempt to be amusing.

…..

"Hate to fucking break it to you, but I think I'm involved!" Kiba reminded her.

She tilted her head as she stared at him, a sign he knew meant she was thinking. Thinking thoughts, not of the happiest and nicest quality at the moment, which involved him.

"Now who's Madara?" he question.

Her chin slightly raised, she decided to answer him. "The corpse I'll deliver Sasuke to."

…..

He had spent years after her death learning, thinking and reviewing. He would need to think like her, in case the worst case scenario happened, and his second chance was spoiled.

Spoiled by the reappearance of that sweet psychotic he had been unaware of. That darling sweet girl who wanted nothing more than his brother's love, the love she had decided to substitute for her deceased whore of a mothers.

"_All she touches she taints...soon you too will be like her." Shino smiled from behind his collar as he offered Sasuke another drink. _

_Sasuke only stared at him. "She spoke to you, you were her teammate, and you know more about her than me. I need to know everything, I have to be ready." _

_Shino's eyebrow rose slightly. "She's dead; you killed her along with Kiba. Though I should congratulate you, neither I was attached to." The corner of his lips curled in a smile, Shino refrained from reacting. "Is she still buried, or should I expect a molested corpse."_

Thankfully Shino had informed him of everything he knew. Including a seal, Itachi had placed, in case she broke free of her leash.

………..

"_Monster, it is fitting." _

Shino might have been right, they way Kiba was staring at her, she actually felt guilt. She looked away from him; she wanted to get away now.

"_There is always Kiba."_

_Her eyebrow twitched. He was actually threatening her. She was slightly amused, the uptight pawn had balls. _

"_Maybe." She kept supposed eye contact with him. "Though I will kill him, the moment he no longer interests me." _

"This isn't that time, you can change it!" he was growing frustrated with her, she felt guilt again, she was upsetting him.

"_Kiba-kun! Can't you see it's not me!"_ Hinata flinched; the screaming was impossibly getting louder. Her hands clenched tightly together as she brought them up against her chest. Then something she hadn't been expecting occurred, the girl screamed using her voice.

"It's not me!! Can't you see there's something in me!!" she screamed.

Kiba's eyes widened, that wasn't Hinata. That was the Hinata from this time. Her eyes widened then closed as she hunched foreword before collapsing.

…..


End file.
